Goodbye 2011

I am more than happy to say goodbye to 2011.  For me it has not been a good year.  Wow, what a downer way to start a blog post. 

On a good note, I just finished my 5th chemo treatment and I am feeling pretty good.  One more treatment to go and I will be finished with chemo, woohoo, celebration!!   2012 is already looking better.

My only New Year's resolution is to get healthy in 2012 and put cancer behind me.  In 2012 I have one more chemo treatment, 6 weeks of radiation and another surgery in August.  By this time next year I can say "bye bye" to cancer.

So I leave 2011 showing you the blooms in my greenhouse.  It is so much fun to go to the greenhouse on a cold winter day and have blooming plants greet me.

Bird of Paradise

Ti plant, No blooms but lots of color

Angel Wing Begonia



Cyclamen

I think this is Josephs Coat



Bird of Paradise again....because I love them so much!

Kalanchoe and Poinsettia

I hope you have a very Happy New Year!! 

Until next time,

Christmas Lights at Chesapeake

These are the Christmas lights at the Chesapeake Energy business complex in Oklahoma City. 

My daughter and I had attended the Christmas program at her church.  Mother had told me I needed to go see these lights so after the program we drove to Chesapeake.  Mom was right.  This light display is spectacular.

We took turns taking pictures of each other.

There is Christmas music playing and the lights on the trees change color with the music.

If you live in the Oklahoma City area and haven't seen these lights I highly recommend that you drive by the complex.

Since then I have had my fourth chemo treatment.  My side effects have not been near as bad this time.  Keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way.

Until next time,

My 6 Trees for Christmas

I have 6 decorated Christmas trees in my house.  Sounds impressive, BUT 4 of them stay decorated all year long.  I can pick them up and store them in a closet.  The 2 large trees are a little work.

 

This little 9 inch tree is in my bathroom

This tree is about 12 inches tall and sits in the kitchen

A little larger, this tree sits in our sun room





Our Charlie Brown tree in the living room

This is my tree.  It is completely decorated with Wizard of Oz ornaments.  It is 4 foot tall and sits in the dining room. 

Picture taken with a flash

And here is the big one, 7 foot tall, sitting in the living room. It has hundreds of ornaments on it and took me, my daughter and 2 granddaughters 3 hours to decorate. It is our memory tree. Each ornament was purchased on a trip or is a special gift from someone.

Picture taken without a flash,  I kind of like this version

My daughter was very happy to be finished decorating.

I will be shopping the after Christmas sales.  I NEED another 4-5 foot tree....right!!

Happy Holidays.

Until next time,

I'm Back

Oh my, it has been a long time since I did a blog post.  My last chemo treatment was a little harder to recover from than the first 2.  I was in bed 4 days, then another 4 days of feeling lousy.  By then it was the day before Thanksgiving.  I was serving Thanksgiving dinner to 15 at my house so I called in my Mom and kids to help me prepare the food.  I could not have done it without them.

I felt good Thanksgiving day.  We had a great day.  I also celebrated my birthday.  I truly cherish my birthdays now.  Cancer can make you look at life differently.  Instead of dreading the fact that I am getting older, I celebrate the fact that I was given another year of life. 

Since then I have been running around frantically trying to get my house decorated for Christmas and get all of my Christmas shopping finished.

You see.....in 3 days I have my 4th chemo treatment and if it is anything like the last one I will be down for over a week.   Yikes, I have Christmas parties to attend, gifts to wrap, christmas caroles to sing.

Enough with the blah blah blah, it will all work itself out. 

One thing I love about this time of year....I get to use my Christmas dishes!!  The pattern is called Winter's Greetings.  I start using it Thanksgiving Day and use it throughout December.

My kids bought me the first 4 place settings and I keep adding to it.  I now have service for 20. 

I hope you are enjoying your holiday season.  Tomorrow I will be doing a post about our Christmas Trees.

Me and Hubby  (see I still have my hair!!) 

Until next time,



What's blooming in my garden

Today I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures of the blooms in the garden before it freezes.

Welcome!!  Come on in and have a look around.

Pineapple Sage

Spoon Mums

Spoon Mums

More Mums

The last of the Knockout Roses

Summer Phlox....Still blooming.  Old Man Winter is blowing into Oklahoma.

Tomorrow I have another chemotherapy treatment.  Here I am 3 weeks ago getting chemo treatment #2.  I always get cold during a treatment so I am glad I have this prayer quilt to keep me warm.  Thank you again Karring Quilters of Emmaus Baptist Church for this quilt.  I use it all of the time.

I will be "down" for about 3 days.  I plan to stay in bed, watch movies and read until I feel better.  Next week is Thanksgiving and we always celebrate at my house.  This year my Mom, daughers and granddaughters are coming the day before to help me cook and clean.  I have such a great family.  I couldn't do it without them this year.

Until next time,

Houston International Quilt Festival Part 2

These are a few more of my favorite quilts from the Houston IQF 2011.  Enjoy. 

A Little Help from my Friends by Martha A. Turner

Unfinished Quilt by Renelda Peldunas-Harter

I Love Cats - Sumire and Ten Cats
By Masanobu Miyama, Japan

Friends of Baltimore by Susan Garman and friends

O Happy Day by Timna Tarr

Detail of O Happy Day

Gone to Texas by Ardie Skjod  Quilted by Debbie Blair

Detail of Gone to Texas

Until next time,

Color in the Yard

2011 will go down in Oklahoma history as the year of weather extremes.  We have set record snowfall, had the coldest temperature every recorded in the state, the hottest summer ever on record, the highest wind speed ever recorded, severe drought and tornadoes.  On top of that many wildfires during those windy days and now earthquakes.  All I can say is "oh my goodness, what is next?". 

With that said, I think the fall color in my yard is the most beautiful ever. 

This is an old native black jack oak tree and look at that color.  Crazy.

Our state is not generally known for it's fall color.

I took this picture 2 days ago.  I think this may be the last Monarch butterfly left in city.  You can tell the mums are almost over the hill. 

Next time more from the Houston International Quilt Festival.

Until next time,