Category Archives: Walking

Simple Sunday and some updates

Posted in California, cancer, Lake tahoe, Walking by

Today, Father’s Day, would have been the day we left for Tahoe for the week, so that’s a little hard for me. Barclay isn’t all that aware, so I don’t think he remembers.

Things are about the same here, maybe a little worse.

We had hospice come on three different days: one was the intake nurse, one was the RN who would be our nurse, and then the social worker. It was all good, although a bit overwhelming. The nurse set up getting a wheelchair, bedside commode, oxygen, a shower chair, and a walker. So, lots of stuff.

He’s using the oxygen, so that helps some. We’re all taking turns being around so he has someone here. We all gave him his Father’s Day cards this morning, too.

Overall, just being here.

We’ve had simple meals( my daughter and I) like Costco pulled pork on tortillas, salads, hot dogs, and one night just sandwiches.

It’s been nice weather and not too hot at all.

Today, my son is coming up to do some yard work and take some cardboard to recycle. He still needs to plan the dump runs, as there is a lot to take to really clean up around the barn. My daughter has the chicken coop almost all the way down. She’s done an incredible job, really.

I’ve had a few nice walks and am rotating my PT exercises so that continues. My knee seems to be doing better overall all and I’m not using my brace anymore, just a compression sleeve.

This coming week I have Velcade, so that’ll be interesting. My daughter had to change her work week so she could be here for me when I’m gone. I don’t have any plans to go to the pool or the gym till we’re done with hospice. No sense trying to add something else in right now.

I hope your world is a happy one, and on a positive note, the No Kings demonstrations were a huge success. Let’s hope the orange man starts to act like a president.

A bit of catch up

Posted in California, cooking, meal planning, swimming, Walking by

I finally broke the ice, so to speak, and went to the pool. I felt ready to do it. I kept it very low-key and did about 20 minutes. The pool was not overly busy, so that was nice. Still sharing lanes but no waiting. I can certainly feel it this morning though.

I walked this morning, although slowly, as I am sore from swimming and my knee feels a bit stressed. My daughter is taking B to infusion, so I will be home doing some odds and ends stuff. I want to get another box of canning jars to Goodwill, so I will do that.

Menu things are not so interesting as I’m not too motivated to cook with,B not eating much.

Last night I made blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs, so not very exciting.

Tonight, I’ll check the freezer and see what needs to be used up.

Wednesday- Chicken on the BBQ and tofu

Thursday- ginger soy ramen ( recipe from the NYT)

Friday- pizza

Saturday- TBD

What’s on your menu plan?? I could use some inspiration.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in Blood test, California, Gratitude, home stuff, husband, Walking by

Let’s just say I’m thankful yesterday is over!!!

It was exhausting. Fortunately, today is a home day, just doing normal stuff. I need to vacuum and go through each room and tidy up. Mostly everything is fine, just a few hot spots.

I’m thankful to get out and do my short walk. It’s not much, but it’s a start.

I went for a walk already, and it was .55. So Saturday, my next walk day, I plan on doing .75 and see how that feels. Also, today I will do some PT exercises.

I’m thankful that B doesn’t need to go tomorrow for infusion. That’s a relief.

I’m thankful we have the AC units to cool the house, as it is going to be very hot tomorrow and Saturday. We are starting to water the yard more just to keep things going. Of course, that will increase our water bill.

I’m grateful for this lovely morning. I’ve been up since 5am and it’s so nice and quiet.

Most of the California poppies are done for now. these are coreopsis.

Simple Sunday

Posted in California, cooking, Walking by

First off I want to congratulate Kristen of The Frugal Girl blog on completing her RN. It’s a huge accomplishment, especially while she was enduring a very difficult divorce. She is so brave and persevered! Well done!

On to my stuff. Yesterday, B had his PET scan, so we’ll know next week how it all looks. I’m hoping for the best, but I also know it may not be good news. He has his next immuno on Tuesday, and I’ll be taking him.

So yesterday, after they took off for Sacramento, I did a bunch of odd chores, and it felt good to do those ones that seemed to get pushed back to the end of the list. I probably overdid it some ( Dex) and can definitely feel it today.

I did go for a walk both yesterday and today, but still holding at .5 miles. It’s not much, but better than not doing it. I’ve been fairly regular doing my PT exercises, and I ordered an inexpensive massage table that lowers to 24 inches so I can start the floor exercises on the table. Since I can’t get up from the floor with my knee, I thought this was a good option, and actually, the PT place used massage tables for patients to get up on, so I felt it was a win-win. Mostly it’ll be exercises like a modified plank, leg lifts, clam exercise, and a few more.

Yesterday I made a new recipe of cream of mushroom soup. I had the big container of mushrooms from Costco, so I thought I’d give it a try. It was really yummy with homemade sourdough. The recipe is from Magnolia if you’re interested.

Today is going to be a fun day for my daughter and me. We are going to brunch to celebrate her 40th birthday. Where have the years gone? I loved being a mom and everything that went with it. She’s an amazing young woman—smart, confident, a talented author/writer, a gardener, and lots more.

Happy Mother’s Day

Posted in California, cancer, husband, peritoneal mesothelomia, Walking by

I hope it’s a nice day for moms out there. Whether you’re a mom to kids, furry ones, or anyone who needs a mom. I hope it’s lovely.

Simple Sunday

My son is coming over and he’ll make a brunch for us all. He’s not staying over, though. He’s on the schedule to take B on Tuesday to infusion. I have my Ortho appt that morning, so I really didn’t want to go out twice.

It’s been quite warm here in the mid-80s, but now we’re in a cool down. There could even be some rain this week.

I went for a brief walk again this morning. Lots of Canada goose families at the park. They are cute, but you don’t want to go near them as the parents will attack.

I can tell I’m not used to walking even this little bit, which is such a shame after all the effort I put into walking, swimming, etc. I do hope that after my ortho appt, I have a clearer path to how long this will take to heal and what else I can do. Since it was a spontaneous snap of the meniscus caused by age, I guess it’s just trying to be more careful and keep strengthening the knee muscles. Getting old is tough when you realize these things can happen out of the blue.

B continues to have no energy, and there doesn’t seem to be any improvement. I’m guessing at some point we’ll need to discuss hospice with the doctor. I’m hoping these next few immuno’s make some difference. He will get a PET scan after the 6th one, but that’s not till June. It’s hard on everyone.:(

Tomorrow we should hear back on the VW, and since B can’t drive right now, my daughter and I will go in and get it. I hope this is the last thing to fix, as after this, I wouldn’t put any more money in her. I do love buggie, but there is a point when the cost just doesn’t justify it. We’ll see how it goes.

We don’t have anything special planned for dinner, but I may make some salmon I have in the freezer. On that note, Ciao!

Simple Sunday

Posted in California, cancer, cooking, decluttering, husband, peritoneal mesothelomia, Uncategorized, Walking by

I miss my morning walks. I miss the morning routine and being down at the park with no one there. It’s quite difficult to not be able to go out early. I’m hoping once I know what this is, I can make a plan. I have the MRI scheduled for next Saturday. So hopefully by the following week, I can get into PT or at least have an idea of the timing on healing. If I remember, my torn ACL and meniscus on my left knee took at least 2 months before I was back walking and swimming. Because there was no trauma to my knee( like the last time falling off the step ladder), I’m hoping it’ll be quicker. I guess, like everything right now, it’s wait and see.

Today I plan to make what has become our Easter tradition. We don’t celebrate Easter, but I like the idea of a special meal, and for us, that is Southern fried tofu. It’s really just breaded tofu, and I make a tartar sauce to go with it. I will make a potato salad, and I have some asparagus to use up. I’ll do some ham for anyone who wants a meat option. I have a Mumm Champagne too. That always makes things festive.

I didn’t even put out my Spring decorations this year. I have some ceramic bunnies and chicks and a few other things. I guess with B being so unwell, I’m finding it hard to do extra things. I think I’ll go get them today and put them out at least for the next week or so.

I did go and drop off all my vintage Pyrex at the Assistance League thrift store. They do good work locally, and I like to support them with good donations. They seemed excited to get them. For me, that’s one less thing to wash and keep clean on a shelf. It was interesting that I had just watched the YouTuber, Minimal Mom, and she was talking about reducing inventory when you’re stressed. I think she was quite right about it. So in that light, I’m really looking hard at what I have around me that takes up space and that I don’t use.

Things are difficult right now, but I’m hoping that next week things improve. B has his next chemo at the end of the month, so maybe after that he’ll start to feel better. We can only hope.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in Blood test, California, cancer, Walking by

I’m grateful for a sunny day. We had our first walk in quite a few days because of the rain. It felt good to get out and walk.

I’m thankful my labs have come back great. Kappa in normal range, lambda in normal range, and the K /L ratio normal. Yes!! I’ll take it.

I’m grateful we’ve gotten through B’s video appts, and nothing was said about cancelling the surgery so we can only assume it’s a go. The only hiccup could be his CT scan of his chest that he still needs to get. They somehow didn’t add in the chest when he got the other one.

I’m thankful for the pool and how Roseville P& R keeps it so clean and immaculate.

I’m thankful for a nice visit from my son the other day. He does make an effort to visit us. Now that he has his own apartment with his partner, he could choose to not visit as often so it’s so nice he does. Plus, he’s a good emotional support for his Dad.

What kinds of things are you grateful for? Usually I’d say for me, it’s about the little things of everyday life. The bread making, the tidying up the house so it’s clean and tidy, sitting in the sun enjoying the warmth and things like that.

Menu for the week

Posted in Blood test, California, cancer, home stuff, meal planning, Walking by

I actually write out a menu for the month. But usually, it is somewhat generic, like Taco Tuesday. So that may end up as burritos or enchiladas. It’s more of a guideline ( remember that funny line in Pirates of the Caribbean)!!

Anyway, we had the home-canned chicken tortilla soup and the vegetable barley the other night. Last night, I made spaghetti sauce and we had spaghetti with that, and B had some ravioli. The tomatoes were the last bag I found in the freezer from last summer, so I wanted to use that up, but I didn’t want to get out the canner, so I froze a few pints.

Tonight, I plan on chicken enchiladas from the freezer with home made refried beans. I’ll make B a few bean/cheese quesadillas.

Wednesday- I think I’ll do some sort of burger with fries.

Thursday- grilled chicken and a Boca burger for B.

Friday- pizza, and this week I will use the coupon I have for a free pizza.

Saturday-??TBD

It’s raining again this morning, so no walking. Plus, it’s quite cold, and a Sierra storm is hitting Tahoe pretty hard. I was going to go down to the Roseville gym, but I think I’ll skip that today. Tomorrow the sun is back and I’ll go to the pool.

Thursday, I have my doctor appt, and on the way back I’ll either go to the gym or Costco. I’m leaving it open, as you never know how long the doctor’s appointment is.

I ordered my Rancho Gordo beans last week, and they should be arriving soon. If you haven’t tried RG beans and you eat beans, you should try them. These are all heirloom beans and the flavor is unsurpassed. I always cook my beans in the crockpot, no soaking first. I put it on high for 6 hours or so.

I’ve been good about not ordering from Amazon although I did order a bamboo blind for the sunroom. That’s the kind of thing I’m not going to go search for. Back in the day(Ha Ha), you could go to an import-type store and find these, but I wouldn’t even know where to start today.

B has labs today, so we’ll see how the hemoglobin is. He still seems tired all the time, but I think that’s the cancer. Tomorrow, hopefully, when he talks to the UCD doctor, we’ll know more. What a shit show. Anyway, I’m just going on the assumption that everything is on schedule till we hear otherwise.

Simple Sunday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, home stuff, Uncategorized, Walking by

A clear morning walk with the waning moon above. No one was around but us and the new hire for the park. We don’t know what happened to the other guy but it’s been around 4 months since they had a regular maintenance person there.

We drove the Santa Fe down to the park because the VW’s flywheel went the other day. This is what the mechanic, who fixed the starter, said would eventually happen. I guess we figured it would be a bit down the road. Unfortunately, we don’t have the money to fix her right now so buggie will just have to sit until we’re done with Stanford. After it’s fixed I guess we’ll need to decide to keep her or sell. Maybe it’s just time to let it go. I wouldn’t want to decide till after it’s fixed.

Today I am not going into the Auburn gym. I think my daughter and I are going to the nursery for some soil and maybe a few flowers.

Today is going to be sunny and the first real day of almost 70 degrees. I plan on getting the Weber out so this week I can BBQ at least once. I have some chicken burgers and Boca burgers too. Tuesday is supposed to be the warmest day.

This week is B’s CT and I have Velcade on Thursday. My appt is at 8:30 so I should be out of there by 9am and I’ll go over to the gym and library. Then Friday with Dex will be a home day.

There haven’t been any changes with my sleep apnea app on my Apple watch. It’s generally right above the elevated line. In April I see the sleep dr so I guess that’s when I’ll know more. I’m pretty sure I would not use a CPAC machine but who knows. Never say never, right??

Next week starts our new budget and I have most everything in. I still need to check my Allstate bill and find the due date. I think that’s the only bill not on auto-pay since I’m paying a different amount each time.

Well, off to start the day! What’s new in your world? anything? I think the reason blogs are so interesting to read is other people’s lives are different than mine and I do enjoy peeking into them.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in California, cancer, Gratitude, husband, Pantry, peritoneal mesothelomia, swimming, Walking by

Happy First day of Spring!!

I’m very thankful that B’s CT scan has been moved up to Monday. Really I wish it were yesterday but I’ll take it. I am preparing for the worst that there’s cancer in the liver and that’s causing his ALP to be rising. It’s hard to figure out why his ultrasound showed ‘unremarkable’ and here we are 3 weeks later. I don’t get it but I am getting ready for ‘bad news’.

I’m grateful for a lovely misty morning to walk and it was very pleasant.

I’m thankful for a nice swim yesterday and the fact that the pool wasn’t too busy. I had my own lane for half my swim so that was nice.

Today is a home day and I don’t have a lot on my list. I want to steam-mop the floors and tidy the wine box pantry. If you haven’t followed my blog, I use Far Niente wine boxes under my stainless steel island to keep my canned goods. These days the four I have are maybe half full. I just don’t keep that much since the end of the pandemic. I bought these off of eBay a long time ago when things like that were reasonable. The 3 under the counter have the tops which is a big plus. One I have doesn’t have a lid and I keep that under a different cabinet.

I’m thankful for some pretty Eucalyptus branches from Trader Joe’s. They are probably my favorite. I love the soft green color.