Happy Easter!

© Johanna Goodyear | Dreamstime Stock Photos

What are your plans for Easter?  It is an absolutely beautiful day, and I have already been to church and soon heading out to see my family.  

This is a day to be grateful for what we have and to rejoice in the power of God.  

I wish everyone a wonderful and happy Easter.  Enjoy your day!

Along the way...

Waiting for Frank to get out of bed, thought I would consider this a journal experience for a few minutes. 
Today is going to be a wonderful day!  We might hit the 30s!!  I can't wait, but I am a bit nervous about the fresh snow from yesterday and the sun...its wildy too bright lately for my eyes.  Seems to trigger the worst migraine headaches.  My doctors tell me its from the ATRA pills, but it doesn't help that I've had migraines my entire life. 
Going to lunch with Mom at Cici's pizza buffet today.  Taking Frank to the park for a walk (if he ever gets out of bed), going to visit my pals at the office and finally work out, work on my sister's birthday present and do some organizing for tax time.


ahhh....thank goodness BD is also having a busy work day himself.  That gives me time to make a mess around the house...lol...hahahahaha

Recipe: Chicken and Mushrooms - Easier than you think!

Let's give credit where credits due:  I saw this page in the February Good Housekeeping and couldn't resist trying it for (of all nights) Valentine's Day Dinner with BD.  Thank you Good Housekeeping!! AMAZINGLY GOOD!!  FRENCH RESTAURANT GOOD!!

February 2014 Good Housekeeping

I saw this recipe for Herbed Skillet Chicken and thought of it as a suggestion or outline, a basic skeleton of a recipe that can easily be tweeked by the comfortable cook.  Here is what I came up with!

Look at all that yummy sauce and beautifully roasted skin!

There are those days

Everyone has bad days.  Today is just one of those days for me.  I can't really explain it, its just that kinda day where I want to eat dinner, take my pills and go to bed.  It feels like 10 am, even though its after 3 pm.  At least things are moving along. 


I don't feel like working out, but my body needs to.  I started knitting a sweater yesterday and unraveled it today.  A lot of knitters call that "frogging".  I think that word sounds funny, so I like to use "unravel".  I'm not very motivated, yet I managed to organize all my vehicle mileage for my taxes. 


I'm worried about my sister and her last month and a half of her pregnancy.  I'm excited but scared.  I'm so worried that something bad will happen to her.  This is her second child but she has had a few complications. 


I also just wish my life was back to normal.  I want to go backwards in time and just be how I was before I got sick.  I'm sure that's a common feeling for those battling a major illness, but it just sucks.  I want to go back to work.  I want to be normal (what I thought was normal for me). 


I just needed to vent.  I am sure I will be in a better mood tomorrow.

I'm slacking and its just the first week of February!!

I am such a slacker.  I blame it all on the flu shot I got on Tuesday.  Its Thursday morning and I still have a red circle on my arm at the injection site.  Its a bit sore, but I anticipated that.  I am more surprised it is still red.  I looked online at the cdc website, and it says the redness and soreness can last 3-7 days.  Yikes!  That seems like a long time.

Frank is still sleeping.  I am ready to wake him up, we need to get moving today.  I have big plans to vacuum the living room and kitchen.  I also want to work on another crochet or knitting project, possibly a hat.

That's about all I have today.  For now.

One Year Anniversary...my life was saved

One year ago today, I went to Urgent Care thinking I had the flu and was a bit anemic.  Instead, I was informed (bluntly) I had leukemia with only days to live, and an ambulance rushed me to a hospital in Chicago.  I spent 5 weeks in the same hospital room.  I had my gallbladder removed a couple days later, a hickman port installed in my chest with three tubes hanging out of it.  I lived attached to an IV that went with me everywhere.  I lost my hair.  I got used to vomiting (often).  I went from a probiotic and multivitamin every morning to over 10 pills with breakfast alone.  I experienced chemotherapy (a lot of it).  I found out what health insurance really is and what they cover.  I learned to fight for myself.  I learned that the drug that saves me costs $5,000 out of pocket each month.  Yep.  I learned a lot.


But...

Today is the anniversary I got my life back.  I almost died, but the wonderful doctors and amazing nursing staff saved my life.  This past year has been a gift.  I promised God one year ago today that I would make a difference in this world, and I wasn't ready to die.  I hope God knows I am trying to move in the right direction.  I've walked and raised money for the Humane Society.  I've walked for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  I've made cookies for others in chemo.   I've made cookies for a bake sale to help another person overwhelmed by medical issues and bills.  I've tried to be more helpful.  I care more about others than I ever did before.




This is only the beginning. 


I am happy to wake up each and every morning.  I love life and can't wait to get back to living!  I am committed to continue helping others through their own cancer story, as they heal so they can get back to living.


I am ever so grateful.

How Can I make a difference in the world?

I ponder that  question all the time.  I am always searching for a way to make my mark on the world.  What's wrong with me?


Yesterday, I had this thought about making a regular thing of delivering cookies to the chemo bar.   That's all.  I just want to make someone's day, and I know my cookies are good and can put a smile on someone's face.  Plus, it gives me an excuse to go visit and talk to everyone. But, then, I googled, "Cancer for Cookies" and "cookies for chemo".  I looked up other non-profits to see if there was anything local or if that name was available.  I suddenly in my head formed my own non-profit and visualized me baking cookies with others and delivering them all over the area...like a growing superstar of a corporation, holding fundraisers, recruiting volunteers, even having a silent auction!  I can't just be simple. 


Then, this morning, it kinda became clear, as I was in the middle state where you are just waking up, but still remember what you dreamt about five minutes earlier.  It dawned on me, that its not about making your mark in the world.  Its about helping.  Do I want to be "known" or "popular" or do I want to help another?  High school and popularity has been over with for twenty years, Lisa, hasn't it?  I wasn't popular then, but I wanted it so badly.  I think that craving never left.  I'm scared that craving never left and that's why I do what I do half the time. 


I realized I need to put this in perspective:
I don't want any awards and I'm not looking for praise for making cookies.
I really like to bake.
I like to feel like I am doing good and helping someone.
I am going through cancer, and I know what chemo feels like and what it does to you.
I can relate.
It makes me feel better to bake.
My cookies are pretty good.
Cookies are pretty inexpensive and well appreciated when you are in chemo for 3-6 hours at a time.


So, I just re-wired my brain.  Just now.  Yes, Lisa, you can make a difference and help others.  You will feel awesome about yourself, just by seeing the smiles of the other cancer patients when you drop off cookies.  Its not about the recognition.


See, that's it:  Its not about the recognition.  I think a lot of people do things for the recognition.  A charity run or walk...you get this tshirt...a show off item, so you can get recognized.  I raised money for jump rope for heart when I was younger-- I did it so I could hang out with my friends after school and get neat (krappy) prizes.  I didn't do it to help those with heart disease or heart research.  Nowadays, I donate and do things for the humane society because I firmly believe they are a good organization.  Frank came from there, and I used to volunteer there (years ago before I got frank).  Now, I try to drop off treats, food, blankets, and paper towels and such when there is a good sale to try to help them out when I can.  I don't do it for the recognition.  I do it because I love the animals and I hate seeing these dogs and cats homeless and in cages.  I do it because I want those animals to have a good treat or toy or blankie all their own until they get a great home.


We all have something we care deeply about.  Everyone can make a difference in their own way.  Isn't that what social responsibility is?  Not just recycling and upcycling and being environmentally conscious, but also being morally uplifting?  I don't want to call it anything other than that.  Morally uplifting.