Wedding Tribute to Kellie and Jack!

Due to COVID, I wasn’t able to be at my niece’s wedding today. But, funny thing, I went walking and kept finding stuff to photograph for a wedding tribute!

Trying To Do More Than Juice The Fruit In My Yard!

I've lived here in Fallbrook for 2 years and 5 months.  So much has happened, yet I haven't really put my thoughts down into words.  Looking back on my blog entries, I was much more prolific in years past.  I hope to now start letting my creative juices flow.

I recently met a local author, and have enjoyed both her books. More importantly, I've been able to meet her for coffee dates and delve further into her mindset as she wrote the books. It's been so fun for me, and I appreciate her generosity in letting me in!

Her name is P. Heaton and both her books are great reads. You can order through Amazon. One is a murder mystery which had me stumped, the other an adventure and love story set in the Civil War years.

Through this author I went to my first Writers Read at the local Fallbrook library.  They hold this once a month.  I found it interesting to listen to all the different authors with unique styles.  The next morning as I was walking around my yard doing clean up, words starting coming into my mind. I went inside and wrote a poem about the Writers Read in less than ten minutes.  Mitch was impressed. But, these moments are far and few.  I hope to start writing more. I created a folder on my computer desktop and called it, "Fallbrook Fonder."  So far, I have three entries. My poem about the Writers Read, an appreciation poem about my home in Fallbrook, and an ode to Cancer.

I just juiced homegrown grapefruit this morning.

Now, I'm trying to juice more than the fruit in my yard.

Let the creative juices flow!

Sylvia
                  

My first three entries into the Fallbrook Fonder Folder:

HERE AND NOW

New to the Writers Read,

open mind, open mic.

Transported from the here and now.

To truth or fiction, I’m not sure.

I hear of London and pretenses.

I almost smell the Jewish Deli.

I hear of hidden journals,

and homelessness and burgers.

I wonder if I will be inspired

to sit and think, and write.

And then I’m stuck on the “Hear” and now.

I thought I was transported away.

But, perhaps I was just enlightened

on our current times.

Activism, Awareness, Alarm!

“Don’t feed the people, but

we feed the machines.”

On my mind since my husband mourns

the loss  of Neil Peart.

The collision of minds.

From a great lyricist

to an award winning Chicana Poet.

Never knowing what will move us.

Or motivate us!

Pen set aside.

My thought now archived.

Fallbrook is alright!

I’ve tasted the sweet sensation of Turkish Delight.

Driven through Tuscany, a marvelous sight.

But, now I exclaim “Fallbrook living is alright!”

The treasures that Mother Nature provides

Are all too bountiful, I can’t take sides.

Citrus fruit, avocados, skies, and tides!

Whether twenty, thirty minutes away

There is so much to fit into a day.

Nonetheless, it's most precious where I lay.

Every morning I admire while sipping coffee

The “never the same” Tuscan-like hill I see.

And I think, and know, I’m so lucky to be me!

No matter if there is fog or rainbows

Incredibly hot weather, or record lows.

I just want to tie the place up in bows.

For my home is truly the best present yet.

A close walk to the farm animals I’ve met.

A cow, miniature horses, and goats to pet.

I think I’ll never tire of the views,

The sunrises and sunset brilliant hues.

My mind at peace, no depression blues.

I’m a Silicon Valley transplant.

Who now gets to tender garden and plant.

And speak about Fallbrook, and rant and rant!

Fallbrook is alright!

Cancer: words not fully comprehended

Appreciation for early diagnosis

Never stop living your life

Carry on and strive for improvement

Enjoy the little moments

Rejoice at remission

 

                      

WHEN ROCKS DO TALK!

"We don't know what the future holds, but no one ever knows what the future holds. People still love us, we're still here, and that's cause for celebration."

This was a line from a recent episode of Grey's Anatomy!  It hit me like a boulder!  I had been thinking about my upcoming one-year anniversary of dealing with Endometrial Cancer, and had found myself in sort of a slump.  I don't know why really. I think it was more the realization that while I was now a Cancer Survivor, I was also a Lynch Syndrome statistic!

So when I heard this line from a T.V. show it brought me back to reality. Sort of ironic that fiction did this.  Anyway, I need to stay positive and focus on all the good in my life.  My children, my husband, my friends, my home.......

Today, March 9, 2019, marks my one-year as a survivor of Endometrial Cancer, so I thought it a good time to be introspective.  I went to the beach yesterday and found some rocks.  I put these three words on them: Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.  That pretty much sums it up!  

You go back to January 16, 2018 when I was in a state of unknown and I also chose to put my emotions on beach rocks:  Love, Joy, Peace, and Hope.

So you can't find a journal entry about my cancer ordeal because I didn't own a journal. But, what you can find are my emotions on rocks!  

Go ahead and ROCK MY WORLD!

I didn't know I had cancer yet, but knew something was off

Rocks I found that day on the beach

I chose to put words of inspiration

Final resting place 

Final resting place for my new rocks!

Mirror Mirror On The Wall......

I'm turning 58 in ten days and beginning to reflect on what that means. For one thing, it means I say goodbye to 57 and I can't wait! 57 is the year I had to face numerous medical issues, and I'm glad to send them off to my past!

I dealt with Endometrial Cancer which resulted in a hysterectomy and the removal of my ovaries. I also had medical issues with my eyes, my hands, and my gut. Oh, and I discovered I had Lynch Syndrome, which makes me much more susceptible to different cancers, especially Colon and Endometrial, which I got!

So now what?  Now I go on living.  I was inspired to write this blog today after seeing a post on Facebook by Ali Fedotowsky-Manno in which she posted a picture of her belly post two children. She writes, "Self love is a difficult thing to fully embrace. When I look at myself in the mirror I can't help but notice that my hips are wider than they used to be, my wrinkles are deeper than when I was in my 20's, and my stomach has lumps and bumps that didn't used to be there." She continued, "Sometimes what we see as "flaws" on the outside, are actually what make us stunningly beautiful on the inside."  She is 34 and very smart to have come to this self awareness.  I'm 57 and still struggling. I have always had an identical twin to compare myself to. That doesn't make is easy to try and stop comparing.

But, I'm going to try.  Today I saw this on Facebook and it is so true.

Here is my photo of my menopausal belly and my comment to Ali.

Ali doesn't like her lumps and bumps. I don't like mine either. But, the important thing is that I'm alive and healthy. I caught my cancer early and didn't have to undergo chemo or radiation. That's winning in my book.  So I have some belly fat and five scars.  I need to not dwell on that, or the 5-8 pounds I always want to lose.

I hope that in my heart is a reflection of a good soul!

Here's to 58!
Sylvia

Getting Cancer And A Gene Mutation Discovered. Oh Joy!

So, you always hear about people getting various cancers, and still the thought doesn't really cross your mind that you could be the next statistic. Well, I became the next statistic!

In January, I went to visit my new OB/GYN, since I had recently moved to San Diego County. I had already visited my new primary doctor, an eye specialist for my Iritis, and the dentist. Little did I know that the OB/GYN visit would be the start of a unique journey.  I say unique, because everybody's Cancer story is different.  As I was to find out, mine had some plusses and some minuses.

During my January visit, it was discovered that I had a Cervical polyp and extra thick lining (Endometrial Hyperplasia) in my uterus.  A biopsy was done on both.  The polyp came back o.k., but the other was inconclusive. This put me on a five week waiting period before I could get in for a D&C and Hysteroscopy where they could further evaluate things.  I tried to go on living as normally as possible.  Mitch and I went out to lunch one day and stopped at a beach. I found some cool rocks and decided to decorate them.  I put positive vibes on those rocks! 

May we all have these!

And then the results came back.

I remember it clearly. It was a little after nine a.m on February 15th.  And at 9:29 I heard the dreaded words, "You have Cancer!"  And then it went a bit fuzzy. Mitch was out on the golf course and five calls later, he called back. In the meantime I had already called my twin. This news just has to be shared!

And so that was that. I had Cancer of the Endometrium, Adenocarcinoma. It was real. It was already appearing on my "On Going Health Issues" on my on-line account. They certainly do update fast! 

I took some time to digest this news, and then it was on to Internet searches to be educated. I learned that Peach is the color of Uterine Cancer.  Actually, I learned what all the different ribbons mean!

 

I don't really care so much about the ribbon colors. I think this:

On February 20th I had my appointment with the Oncologist OB/GYN.  I was told that if you are to get cancer, this is the one to get as it is usually quite treatable.  My new mantra became, "One and Done!"  I wanted only one cancer, and one surgery with no need for Chemo or Radiation.  My Hysterectomy was scheduled for March 9th. 

Oh but wait, this is where things became even more interesting!  My tumor from the D&C showed that I had a mutation in one of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes. Mine was the PMS2 gene.  It is possible for a cancer tumor to be messed up, without your entire DNA being that way, so it was off to genetic testing for me.

On 2/27/18 I went for genetic counseling and then took the blood test.  Results would come back in approximately three weeks.

On 3/9/18 it was "C" Day!  Time to get the cancer out of my body. With improvements in technology, I was able to have a Da Vinci Robot assisted hysterectomy on an outpatient basis.  My surgery was from 12-2, and I left the hospital around 5:30.

It's amazing how a Da Vinci Robot works!

My only bad side affect was throwing up later that evening from the anaesthetic.  I never needed the 30 tablets of Narcotics that were precscribed. I simply took Ibuprofen for a few days.  It's amazing that the worse bruise on my body is on my hand where they put my IV.  

On 3/16/18 I got back my genetic testing results and that is where the plusses and minuses come into play. But, as with most things in life, it is all about how you look at things. I love this image:

The results showed I had Lynch Syndrome.  I had never heard of it! So I did Internet searches which enlightened me, but, also scared me.  From the reading it appeared I could have as high as 60-80 percent chance of getting Colon Cancer and Uterine Cancer. Oh good, I already got one, now I just need to worry about Colon Cancer and a few others.  The good news is that of the five Lynch genes, I had the "best" of the bad!  My affected gene is called PMS2 and lowers your risk of Colon and Uterine Cancer to about 15-20%. 

So the bad news, I am more prone to Cancer.  The good news, I now know this and can get more frequent screenings. It's all about early detection. I will go for annual colonoscopies.

The bad news, I may have passed this on to my kids.  The good news, they can get tested to see if they inherited it. If they did they will also get more frequent screenings.

March 20th, at 8 in the morning, I got the call from the surgeon.  The cancer had not spread and I am clear to go. No need for radiation or chemo!  I can finally breathe a little easier.  I took this picture on the day of my initial meeting with the Oncologist.  I was rocking my Peach top and doing my best to look positive! 

I see the Light!  In the picture and also in my future.  Nobody ever knows what will happen, so I'm just going to go on living.  There will be photos of my cocktails on Facebook! That brings me to another topic. Don't get too hung up on what you see on people's FB pages. They don't display the whole truth of what is going on in a person's life!  I chose not to put anything on FB until I knew my outcome.  If you go back and look at my posts from January until now, you would think I was just living an ideal life. You would not know that the last two months have been Hell. The worry, the waiting.....  

So, I leave you with two bits of wisdom:  Please listen to your bodies, and if you suspect something is off, get yourself to the doctor. Early diagnosis is everything. And don't believe everything you see on Social Media platforms.  If you want to know what's really up with somebody, reach out and talk directly with them.

A big thanks to all that reached out to me during this difficult time.  You will never know how much the cards, text, emails, messenger chats, (and yes, even the gifts) meant to me! 

A great juicer!

DIY Plant

Healing mug!

Survivor Sylvia!

Turning Over A New Leaf!

Sometimes phrases pop into our heads that are just too perfect for the moment.  Mine right now is, "turning over a new leaf!"

Right now I find myself in a new place. Literally.  I'm 57 years old and just moved from the only place I have ever called home. O.K. technically I lived in several cities, but they were all within 10 miles.  So this "Bay Area" woman has now converted to a "SoCal Lady."

The funny thing is that the move from San Jose to Fallbrook was a major life change that actually happened very quickly.  I guess you can say we, "turned on a dime!"  A lot of dimes to be exact. What worked for us as we raised our children, became our bread basket that allowed us to move on to the new chapter in our lives.

My husband went to San Diego State University back in the 70's, and has always loved the North County of San Diego.  After my son went to Cal State San Marcos, this was even more so. Fast forward a few years to my son toying with the idea of moving back to coach at his Alma Mater.  Instead, he stayed back in San Jose, along with my daughter. So, instead of the usual "kids move away from the parents" we reversed this notion and the parents moved away from the kids.  It's been an adjustment, but the air flight is just over one hour so we will have lots of visits to and from the Bay Area and San Diego.

So now we live in paradise!  We left the two story house on a 3500 square foot lot for a single story home on an acre and a half!  Besides a lot of privacy, we have the luxury of living on the 8th hole of the Golf Club of California which keeps Mitch very happy.  I'm excited about the Avocado tree and the glorious mountains that remind me of Tuscany.

We also get the "outdoor living" that we wanted. San Jose was great when our kids were growing up, but now that we don't have jobs that dictate we live there, it's time to "turn a new leaf" and start living it up!  We are so close to the beach, wineries, San Diego attractions, the Hops Highway, great tacos.....  You get the idea.  Life doesn't suck right now!

Well, actually moments for me do.  For I have "turned a new leaf" and adopted this cartoon as my motto!

What Menopause also means is that I can make up new phrases like when I suck at card games and I'm "Mentalpausing!"

Menopause also means I have to make life adjustments. This includes that fact that my fingers swelled and I needed to take off my wedding ring.  My solution was to move my anniversary ring from my right hand to my left, and then put a new ring on my right hand to hide the permanent indent in my finger.  How perfect that I found a leaf ring. So, I literally can "turn over a new leaf."

Past, Present, and Future Anniversary Ring

 

So until I take my wedding ring in to get resized, my $5.99 ring on sale from LOFT is the answer!

So here's to cheap fixes, crazy high San Jose home prices, exploring new territory, and turning over a new leaf!

Don't be fooled into thinking that changing out a staircase is a one weekend job!

In my past career life I was a buyer/planner.  I have eleven plus years experiencing the constant joys (not) of explaining shortages and overages.  I am happy to report that when it came time to do a home improvement project, I don't think I could have done a better job on planning or procurement.  I ended up with practically no extra material and no shortages!   Of course, that doesn't mean it wasn't quite the saga!

In my complete state of ignorance I thought, "why not demolish the old staircase and get a new one installed?"  I was tired of the old handrail having the paint chip off and wanted to have a staircase that was more in my style.  I think my style is best described as "Old World Elegance!"


Here is the inspiration photo that I used to determine what kind of spindles and newels I wanted, and what I wanted the pattern to be.  I'm pretty impressed with myself that I made it a reality. I went with the pattern in the bottom photo, but the newel shape in the top photo.

The before and after is quite the transformation. Of course getting there was a journey!

Original 

New and improved!

Let me take you back to the beginning: planning the job and buying the necessary parts. I started by attaching stickies to my staircase so I could plan my layout.

I bought a few styles from the supplier (an online company in Georgia) and once I checked them out, I ordered my job parts.  Little did I know that that would only be order number two of three. It turns out that I made my purchase based on the number of spindles in the original staircase.  After I got my parts I determined that wasn't going to work. The white spindles were over an inch in diameter and the iron ones were only half an inch. So in order to keep to code and not have the spacing between spindles greater than 4 inches, I needed to go back and increase my spindle quantities.   I used my highly skilled mathematical mind to figure out that 28 spindles should replace the 22 from the original staircase on the back section. On the front section I kept to the original 17. Since the spacing was not consistent on the original staircase, I was able to space them out and still keep within the code.

And then the fun began. I put up spindles on the staircase so I could visualize the pattern. And then I played dominoes with all of them falling onto my hardwood floor below. Thankfully I only made one slight ding!













Next came demo day!  Man the old staircase was built to withstand a major calamity!  My handyman had to be very careful not to ding the knee wall.

Dang those were overkill!

Look ma no hand(rail)!

Ding in newel

Different color on same handrail

Before I got too far into the job, I discovered several issues.  One of the newels had a ding in it and one of the handrails had a section that was colored differently than the rest of the rail.  But, using my brilliant mechanical mind (which I thought was non-existent) I determined we could  cut the newel and use it for one of the 35" ones instead of using it as a 45" one with the ding still showing. I also calculated that the discolored section of the handrail could be a stand alone issue if we used it for the very first section.  

With the minor issues resolved we were off to the races.  We started the installation process. My handyman did an excellent job of anchoring two of the spindles deeper into the knee wall to act like support beams. We put them where the initial staircase had double wide spindles. And then we stopped for the day. The next day it dawned on me that we had a problem. We hadn't put down the shoe first.  So Mike had to use his strength to lift the spindles out of the epoxy filled holes so we could install correctly.  Luckily we discovered this early enough that the epoxy hadn't fully set.

Oh no, no shoe!

All newels installed!

Getting the shoes spaced  out properly

checking spindle pattern

Comparison to inspiration photo

Top section spindles installed

To say the back section went without some hiccups, would be to leave out a few steps!  All the spindles were custom cut after careful measuring and checking levels, but when we went to install the handrail some of the drilled holes were off so Mike had to drill a different angle.  Also some of the spindles somehow came up short!  I had bought a few extra so we changed out four spindles.  Why can't walls and knee walls be straight? Why can't all that careful planning actually go right the first time?  Why, because I needed something to write about in this blog!  Unfortunately I didn't buy any extra scrolls and two of them were still coming up short.  We made it work by installing a dowel into the top end of the spindle so it would extend the length of the spindle. Since we were using decorative shoes you can't tell where we worked this magic! We filled the bottom holes with epoxy before installing the spindles and had planned to do that at the top, but getting the handrail on was such a trick that we decided to forgo that step!  Each of the shoes has a screw set that keeps the shoe tight to the spindle so epoxy isn't mandatory. In some cases the top holes were a bit big after the re-drilling so Mike just jammed some masking tape into the hole to take up any extra space.  "A" for effort. "A" for making it work!

Back section almost done

Yes! Back section done!

Now that we were moving on to the bottom section I took a moment to see how the back section looked from my bed.  I love how my excellent layout resulted in me being able to see a twist, scroll, and basket! 

On to front section

Checking that everything is level

Almost done!

And the build is done!  Original quote was for around nine hours! I guessed 15!  Add the two together and that wasn't even right!

Time for another before and after photo. Now all that's left is to figure out the stain and touch up painting!

Too purple, too pink, to brown, oh my!

Let's drink to success!

We are done except for paint touch up!

It's Cosmo time!

I think I'm done with home improvements.  I designed the front yard, but left it to the experts to install. After designing  and assisting on the staircase the only thing left would be for me to design and do the work on the next project. That won't happen. No tools for this gal!