The Land of Yesterday~Lubbock Re-visited

Over the 4th of July week-end, Paul and I decided rather impulsively to take a quick trip back to my hometown of Lubbock. I was born and grew up there. We had not been back at all in 26 years. Many, many memories exist for me there. Paul and I both went to college there, met and married there, adopted Aaron there.

In that whirlwind trip, we visited some of my/our personal memories...the house we first lived in together, the second house we lived in together, the house I lived in growing up etc., the place we spent our honeymoon and of course, the Tech campus where we met.

I stood outside the first house, the house I had initially lived in as a teen with my mother and for many years with Paul. The house we lived in when Aaron was born. A rush of memories cascaded through my mind as I stood by our car taking it all in. The neighborhood had seriously deteriorated. I continued to stare at the house...remembering. I took pictures of it as well. Later I joked that if anyone in the house was gazing out a window, they might well be saying, "Why is some lady parked across the street from our house staring and taking pictures???! And now, she's CRYING!" Yes, I cried. I was just overcome by the emotion of the moment of seeing the house again where so much of my life had been lived. So very many memories in that nondescript old house in West Texas.

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Psalm 90:12 NIV

Summer in the City....

The heat continues. I am a dedicated autumn/winter person. They say not to wish your life away but I really am straining toward the Fall right now as Dallas persists in tormenting us with triple digit temps everyday.

The update on my mom is two pieces of good news. Her PET scan did not show spread of cancer, and she was able to take chemo-like cancer-fighting drug, Tarceva. She was deathly sick today. I am wondering if it is the Tarceva to blame. Again we take it one day at a time.

King James Bible Mattew 6:34
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

My mother's journey...

At the end of May, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. My mother is elderly, age 86. So a cancer diagnosis is not especially hugely surprising. The fact that it was lung cancer came as a bit of a surprise however to her and me as well. Did she smoke? Oh, yes. She smoked heavily for probably 40 years or more, but she quit about 20 years ago. You think so long after, it wouldn't still have an effect but her pulmonologist said that, while a person's risk dramatically fall after the cessation of smoking, a person's risks never return to being comparable with those of a non-smoker. My appeal~~ if you are a smoker, please quit! If you aren't, please never start. Despite the known hazards, my regular physician was remarking the other day that it is still, in his eyes, still unfortunately a popular habit. Yes, I know that even nonsmokers can get lung cancer. Dana Reeves, for example. However, it is uncommon compared to the risk if you smoke. I also know that we all will pass from this earth some way (assuming Jesus doesn't return first,) but it doesn't usually have to be from lung cancer. Ok, off soapbox now, but had to throw that in because I feel it even more passionately than I ever did now.

Today I took my mother to have a PET scan. (No, it doesn't check to see if you've been eating the neighborhood chihuahuas!) PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography. My layman's explanation is that they inject some type of sugar solution which is also radioactive and this stuff goes to places of cancer activity in the body. This reveals with some astounding accuracy if cancer has spread anywhere.
We should know her results when I meet with her oncologist, Dr. Thuy Le. People assume Dr. Le is male, but actually, SHE is a small,relatively young Asian woman with a personable demeanor. Dr. Le has said that for a woman my mom's age, there is no viable treatment for lung cancer except a chemo-like pill called Tarceva. (Surgery is the main treatment for this type of cancer, but considered too rough for someone her age. Her pulmonologist said even for someone 10 years younger, it could still be a feasible option, but not at 86. IV chemo and radiation were ruled out for same reason.) This can slow the cancer down in some people. They can tell by a marker in someone's blood whether it is likely to be effective or not. The results of that will be available when I meet with Dr. Le on Friday as well.

Till then...we just take it one day at a time.

Happy Easter!

"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging." Psalm 46 1-3 NIV

It seems like the Lord keeps bringing me back to meditating on this scripture. A severe storm passed through tonight. A little over a week ago, the huge Bradford Pear tree in our front lawn toppled from high winds, at least a big chunk of it did. You know, I have never really been afraid of weather storms, but this year I have "weathered" some storms in my personal life and yes, I confess I do have some fear that there may be more to come. Lord, forgive me for not trusting more. This scripture is a good anchor for me and hopefully, it is for anyone who might read this as well.

Who Holds the Future?

Well, in the past week, I have attended a class on resumé writing and also one on interviewing techniques. The instructor was wonderful and also rather entertaining, but did they help? Well, I hope so...at least a little bit. You know you hear the statistics about unemployment, but when you see the faces of people who are unemployed, unemployed and discouraged, it's sad.

I try to remind myself in the face of such discouragement that my future does not lie so much in WHAT the economy holds but rather in HE who holds my future! "For I know the plans I have for you," eclares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." NIV Jeremiah 29:11

Diary of An Accidental Housewife ....the saga continues

So... thought I would get a white chocolate mocha (my new vice) at Starbucks after successfully having my neck adjusted at ye ol' chiropractor's office when I spotted a nail salon recommended by a friend of mine. Now mind you...I have never had a professional manicure in my life. Well....you guessed it. Got one today. The gal tried to talk me into a pedi too. You have to draw the line somewhere. So I declined that.

Yep, first manicure at age 55. What's gotten into me???

Diary of an Accidental Housewife....vents, rants and other musings about life.

Well on January 14th of this year, I unexpectedly moved from being a bank receptionist to being an unemployed receptionist. People have asked if I am bored being at home.Far from being bored, since then my life has been a whirlwind of activity. Seriously! I am applying for jobs, have applied for unemployment and am generally enjoying the good life of being an "unexpected housewife."

As most ladies who have worked full-time are well aware, when you're not at home, stuff has a tendency to uh....shall we say...pile up. And even more so, if you tend to be a "mess-pot" like myself. Currently, I am slowly and sytematically going through drawers etc. straightening and cleaning out.  My closet is a "work in progress." Prior to my recent efforts on its behalf, it resembled the "before" on some type of TV show where S.W.A.T. team of overly organized women come in and rescue the hapless unorganized victim! So....we take it from there. I am in prayer concerning my lifestyle change and await the Lord's direction. :-)
"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me."-Psalm 138:8