November is flying by -

. . . . . . . .leaves are falling, nights are cooler, mornings often misty, 

and some  people are already putting up Christmas decorations.  

Not here though!

I really wasn't planning to write a post today so this may be brief. I was up early due to the downstairs smoke detector beeping - no fire thankfully but a dead battery. Why does this always happen at night - well early morning in this case? I was still snuggled in my recent change to cozy flannel sheets! As we didn't have an early appointment I thought I could have a little extra sleep/rest. Plans changed. We didn't have a replacement battery - dozens of other sizes but not the required one - so Bob left early for the nearby Target to pick up a pack of 9V.  We decided to also replace the battery in the upstairs detector as it would probably wake us up soon - you know, 'Murphy's Law' and all that!

I've treated myself to several new books recently. They all revolve around food and eating, holiday cooking, and international dishes. I love everything written by British food writer-author, Nigel Slater. I have other books by him and have been meaning to purchase 'Christmas Chronicles' for several years. Whilst pre-ordering his new book 'A Thousand Feasts' I added the other one and they showed up together - that was a wonderful day . . . . . . . now I just need time to read them, preferably curled up by the fire.

This book above was just published and is already a New York Times Best Seller! I had pre-ordered Betül's first ever book because I follow her truly amazing cooking videos on Instagram. Love her recipes and her story of growing up in Turkey. There are some great baking recipes.........and I need more time to try my hand at them. Everything she prepares is beautiful, and the way in which she cooks with older traditional utensils and cookware, wearing clothes from another era in her homeland, is something I've become addicted to and find extremely relaxing.

My Thanksgiving cactus is opening pink blooms and there are many. I've really been giving a lot of TLC to this plant all year. Carried it out to the front porch on warm, sunny days, shielded it from raging hot summer afternoons. Fed and watered, and then brought it in at night. These past 5-6 weeks I put it to bed it in the dark all night. The buds soon appeared at the tip of every leaf. Now they're rewarding me with lovely dangly flowers which hopefully will last a while.

The Cancer Center where Bob is receiving his chemotherapy is quite new. It's a very well designed building and the different waiting areas are laid out to make those of us who wait......and then wait some more, feel comfortable and cared for - just as they do for the patients. I recall our two rushed visits to the ER earlier this year. Just finding seat to wait those long waits until a hospital room was available was not easy. Having art to look at and enjoy wasn't part of the scene. . . . . . . . . watching people was often sad and upsetting. Life is all about health. Good health is the most important thing.

The wing where chemo infusions are given has a really pleasant waiting area with comfortable seating and some awesome art. Paintings are colorful and interesting, North Carolina makers and artisans have donated - or people have purchased their work and then donated it to the Cancer Center - really fun pieces.

I make sure Bob is comfortable in his space with his nurse, then move out to the waiting area so he can relax or take a nap! I actually think know he just chats about our travels all the time to the medical staff! Thankfully they seem to enjoy his company and stories. Their first question to me is always. . . . ."is it true you've been to Antarctica?"  

I take my knitting with me, sometimes a book and read a while. I admit I look at my phone too but my eyes often roam to this favorite item, a figurative clay piece by Lisa Joerling. I love it with the bird perched on her head so I aways sit where I can view it. Small, quiet, lovely things are important to get you through the difficult days.

Thanks for stopping by. I guess this wasn't brief after all!  I hope to be back here soon - I still need to do a least a little Christmas decorating to share in the coming weeks.

Halloween Already!

Yes, it's me at long last..........here for a brief post after far too long. 

Bob is post surgery and now receiving chemotherapy, two weeks on one week off, through early next year. Living without a kidney, going back into the hospital yet again - following the surgery hospitalization - due to an infection, and then so many doctor and hospital visits have definitely taken a toll on us.........but we are managing and doing quite well at present.

It's Autumn and we're almost into November. Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend, the clocks go back and the dark evenings arrive earlier.  Another year is quickly coming to an end. Where did it go? How could it pass so quickly? How come I haven't been anywhere new and exciting? Our lives, this year, have revolved around all those health and medical issues. We haven't traveled anywhere!

Today is Halloween. It's almost hot here - 79F will be the high in another hour. We've had no rain for so long that our lawn areas, back and front, are more like scenes from the days of the 'dust bowl' years on the Great Plains in the 1930's. When rain does come we pray it won't be like the storms of Hurricane Helene and Milton when we were almost washed away.

Today our lawn service is reseeding - hopefully we'll see green again come next Spring. Our tree removal people have done a great job this past week pruning, taking down one small tree, and then removing a gigantic 125 foot tall, 200 year old oak threatening to fall on the house due to a rotting base! Sad to see it go but necesssary..........our next door neighbors are happy too.

The kiddies won't require bundling up this evening as they go trick or treating. Hoping they all have fun and stay safe. My decorating for the season has been minimal this time around. Here you get the idea, my plans were bigger, the end result lesser, but I think OK.

In between all the upheaval I recently had a birthday. I really try to stay young in thought and action but have to admit I've struggled somewhat recently. My favorite times have been small, quiet moments where I managed to sit alone away from noise and commotion. These come to mind. . . . . . . . the koi pond in the peaceful hospital garden; knitting in waiting rooms - especially the ones in the Cancer Center that have no television sets; the front porch late afternoon with a cup of tea or a glass of rosé; the gazebo in the back garden, writing little thank you notes to all the dear people who have sent Bob cards and get well greetings, and me gorgeous birthday cards.

Enjoy your Autumn days. Stay well and be happy. 

Too hot to bake.....and more about Bob!

I have mixed feelings about coming here so infrequently.  Guilt?  Definitely!

I'm having feelings that blogging is just too much like hard work compared to Instagram. Speed and ease of posting a photo or photos, typing just about anywhere when you have a phone and a few spare minutes. One and done kind of communication. My IG account is Private so I don't have to deal with strangers and the unknown. That said, I feel sad not spending more time here on the blog but, in all honesty, I just haven't had that time this first half of the year for many, and varied, reasons.

Just as the late Queen Elizabeth stated in 1992 regarding her 'annus horribilis' year - I think 2024 is turning out to be mine.

 

Truthfully, it really is too hot to bake this summer. Independence Day holiday in Raleigh brought the highest temperature ever recorded here, 117F. Nobody in their right mind would turn the oven on in that heat. Thankfully there are bakeries - this beautiful loaf was baked at our favorite in downtown, Boulted Bread. Their pastries are also great, the plain croissant being top of my list, one of the best ever. We're now a little cooler and having long awaited rain. I am back baking and roasting, and we are enjoying frequent al fresco dining in the screened gazebo most evenings.

A couple of posts back in May I shared Bob's emergency hospitalization. During that upsetting time, following so many tests and scans, two tumors were visible on an MRI. Going forward with a visit to a urologist after leaving hospital, an exploratory surgical procedure was ordered and Bob went under general anesthesia in hospital. Sadly the diagnosis is cancer. Last week, while awaiting major surgery, he was given one dose of chemo and has managed well, no pain, no side effects. The blood infection, in case you're wondering, had nothing to do with the cancer, however helped in discovering it in time to prevent spread hopefully!

Bob's surgery will be a robotic-assisted Nephroureterectomy which includes losing a kidney (but thankfully he has a healthy looking one remaining). Other bits will also be taken but hopefully he will not require chemo/radiation afterward if there is no metastases. Fingers are tightly crossed, prayers are being said by family and wonderful friends - many thanks to you all.

I'm sad and sorry that I haven't been able to visit/comment on blogs for far too long. I will return here soon, probably once we get the surgery date. As the cancer is a rare and aggressive type we expect to get the go ahead as soon as he can be worked into the surgeon/hospital schedules. 

Please keep Bob in your thoughts - some of you have met him and know what a great man he is, the rest of you please take my word for it.............he is very special, has beaten cancer before, and is sure he can do it again.