Monday, Monday

Hello,
I saw my Dr. in Corvallis last Thursday and he said I could take today off from getting a blood test. He said things are looking good and he wants to see me in a month. I asked him about the numbness in my ankles and feet (neuropathy of nerves caused by the Chemo) and he checked things out and said we would have to just wait and see if the feeling comes back. I'm hoping it does because feeling/looking like I'm walking with lead boots on after about 10 to 20 minutes is a little embarassing! :-)
My cold is on it's last leg and didn't stop us from going out to dinner with Will and Ellie last night. Here's a photo:


They are soooo cute! I love them...

Ellie was accepted into a Masters program for teaching and will be moving to Portland in August. Will is going to the Oriental School of Medicine in Portland so that he can open his own practice for Accupuncture and natural medicines. These two work so hard and we are so proud of them.

This blog has turned into a once a week update on things, I hope that is ok. Next Monday I'll let you know how my trip to IKEA with 4 girlfriends goes! They've all been waiting for me to feel up to going before they made the trip on their own. I've made them wait a long time I fear. haha We are going to spend the night up there and have the whole day to shop. I'm glad IKEA has displays to sit in because I think that's where I'll be spending a bulk of my time! hahahha

Love you and talk to you soon!
Florence

El-e-va-tion!

Hello,
I have a BIG White Cell Count! And that's a good sign, because it shows I'm fighting off a cold I caught last week. Too much fun ended the week with me having a cold. But it's running it's course and I'm almost over it. I have not had a cold or flu since Fall of 2005, so it was my time. :-)

3/24/08
White Cells 4800 (4500 - 11000)
Red Cells 2.93 (4 - 5.2)
Neutrophil 3.5 (1.8 – 7.7)
Platelets 80 (150 - 400)

So this is a quiet Spring Break. We are looking forward to seeing Will and Ellie later this week for a visit or maybe breakfast. Will and Price (his twin brother) are our "sons from a different mother..... & father" hahha We love them both so much because they keep us in their lives.

I hope that those of you that have Spring Break off are having a great time. It was suppose to rain here yesterday and today but so far so good!

Love,
Florence

Greetings To Spring...

Hello,
This has been a busy week for me (on my own), probably the busiest in over 9 months. Monday I had my lab test:
3/17/08
White Cells 3000 (4500 - 11000)
Red Cells 2.90 (4 - 5.2)
Neutrophil 1.83 (1.8 – 7.7)
Platelets 89 (150 - 400)

Then I had a meeting to go to with my girlfriends Monday evening. Tuesday I had dinner out with some girlfriends, Wednesday I drove to Corvallis to have lunch with a friend and when I got home Larry called to asked if I wanted to join him and a visiting firefighter/instructor from WA. for dinner, so off I went again. So today is my resting day! Saturday we are going to attend the retirement party of a really good firefighter friend whom Larry worked with in Eugene in 1979-1980. Then Sunday we will visit with good friends from AFD for an Easter Egg hunt. Hope it doesn't rain! My brother is in Africa right now so tomorrow I'll probably go check on his house and hang around for a bit, he said "to make the place look lived in." :-) I should have a big party over there!! hahahha

Speaking of parties. Every year in June, Poet's Garden has a tea which is so delightful to attend. It's held in the middle of a garden blooming with roses, we sip tea, eat cheesecake under a big white tent at individual tables with friends that you love to spend time with. In honor of Spring, here are some photos I took at the tea in 2006. I can't wait for this year's event!
Love and bouquets to you,
Florence

Coast Trip Photos

Hello!
I don't have my numbers from yesterday's lab appointment yet, but I can't wait any longer to post photos of our trip to Seaside and beyond....



This was the view from our room. At night the lights in the pool would change color and that was fun to watch. Everyday during our stay there were at least 15 Adults and Kids swimming in the pool and jacuzzi, in the rain, wind and sun having fun.





We drove North to Cape Disappointment and went through the visitor's center at Camp Canby. If you click on this photo (to enlarge it) you'll see that Larry is giving me his "evil eyes." :-) He's so funny!


This is an old lens from inside a lighthouse.



On the road again. Here's the beach at Hug Point. No, we didn't hug there but I hung on to him pretty tight so that I wouldn't fall down.



The Spruce Goose! With this visit we were able to go inside it!!!



They have a Plexiglas panel up so that you can look through to the tail section. Notice the mannequin standing halfway back? There is another one all the way in the very back standing next to that doorway. You may be able to double click on this photo to in order to get a better feeling. It was AWESOME.



This is an entire SR-71 Blackbird sitting under one of the wings of the Spruce Goose! You can see what the SR-71 looks like in the photo that's hanging off the stairs that lead to the cockpit.



More planes under the other wing of the S.G. My favorite planes are the ones that are shiny, like this one. And the ones where the sides look like corrugated metal.



Our last morning, heading home, we ate at Camp 18. I think the city/area it's in is called Eloise, OR. It was beautiful, there was a big fireplace burning and lots of things to look at.

Oh, we also saw a great 45 minute movie about a fighter pilot at the new IMAX theatre at the Evergreen Aviation Museum.
Below is a little video I took at the Evergreen Museum. We were up on the mezzanine above the planes and under the wing of the Spruce Goose.



Talk to you soon,
Love, Florence

Coastal Adventures

Hello,
After getting my lab results on Monday:

White Cells 3200 (4500 - 11000)
Red Cells 2.89 (4 - 5.2)
Neutrophil 1.87 (1.8 – 7.7)
Platelets 78 (150 - 400)

.....Larry and I took off for Portland to visit the caring staff on 5C at OHSU. Then we headed West to Seaside. We've been staying in Seaside and each day we take off on road trips. We've been North up through Long Beach, WA. and today South to Tillamook. Tomorrow we head home and plan on stopping in McMinnville to see the Spruce Goose for the second time.

I'll post some photos soon!
Love,
Florence

"Wigged Out" More Fun Photos...

Hello,

Below are my numbers from yesterday (March 3rd) and they all went up a bit!!
White Cells 3100 (4500 - 11000)
Red Cells 3.04 (4 - 5.2)
Neutrophil 1.9 (1.8 – 7.7)
Platelets 73 (150 - 400)

March 3rd was Casey's 27th Birthday. I cannot that believe he would be 27. I miss my sweet/funny kid. Yesterday I took a few photos of myself and I find it so hard to smile when taking photos of myself. So I thought back to two really funny antics of Casey's and then I laughed and was able to get the shot....

So, to carry on Casey's sense of humor here are a couple of photos of me with hair!! I received a free wig yesterday in a class sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Wigs are just funny to me, and I think Casey and I would have had a blast getting photos of him with it on....





Here's a funny coincidence, the number of that first photo above on my digital camera was "img 1981," the year Casey was born!


On Sunday two new Firetrucks were delivered to Albany. Four Albany Firefighters flew back to Wisconsin to pick them up and drive them home. Here are some photos of them getting washed up before they headed down to the Pierce Firetruck Company in Eugene, OR to get checked out.



Jacob Bradner helping wash the new truck.


This truck will only be able to turn left until Pierce flips this signal cover!! hahaha

My love and thanks for all the hugs this week!
Florence