Thanksgiving

Thought I would post a picture of our table,  the china was my great grandmothers sisters.  I had to have 2 dinners (one the day before to accommodate my  families other holiday obligations).  Think I will have leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast-joyce

Be Thankful Every Day

Get A Mammogram

Today is the day before Thanksgiving -  I spent the past two days worried about a call yesterday from my docs office saying they found a shadow on my mammogram.  This news put me and dh in somewhat in a panic because I am a 3 year colon cancer survivor (level 3 with chemo) and still in the watch period.  Checking the internet I found that if it comes back in the watch period in a different place it means it has metastasised, and survival statistics were bleak (10% - 2 to 3 years).  Spent that day feeling sorry for myself, dh came home from work, ect.

So yesterday I started looking for a mammogram appointment.  The place that did the first one could not see me again till Dec. 9.  Dh said keep looking, I found one that would do a mammogram and ultrasound that afternoon.  I was there most of the day.  I was very pleased that when it was over the radiologist sat down and talked with us both.  I was so relieved when he said that this is not metastasised cancer. 

What they found is 3 salt grain size dots, that have a 25% chance of being pre-cancerous.  Next Wednesday they will do a fine needle biopsy with results a few days after that.    Either its nothing or I will have a small procedure to removed the 3 dots.  Here is a web link about it.  http://breastcancer.about.com/od/types/p/DCIS.htm


These past two days have put me behind in Thanksgiving preparation, plus we are having company tonight and I have to take my cat to the vets this afternoon.
I'm not complaining, its good to be busy, and this year I am again so thankful.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving All...joyce

***Just a quick update from the above, the biopsy results were normal, (they were just some fibroids)---Pheww...back to my new thankful life..joyce *****

Oranges

Fall in South Texas, not much foliage color, the  trees go from green to brown.
 But we have a second growing season and local oranges and grapefruit.






This is my attempt at a orange tree, planted it myself last spring, unfortunately the deer and llamas got to it and left me one orange. (This is a accomplishment as ground here is sand, and difficult to keep watered throughout the hot summer).


 
 
 
Here is a bag of local oranges, $5.00 (such a deal)---they are very good. -joyce



 

Apple Nut Cake withe Lemon Cheese Icing

This is the best apple nut cake you will EVER taste—(Not a healthy lifestyle recipe)


Apple Nut Cake with Lemon Cheese Icing

Cake -Oven 325

2 eggs beaten

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

4 cups finely chopped apple

Beat eggs, sugar, & vanilla, -beat in the oil till smooth. Sift together flour, soda, cinnamon and slat. Stir dry ingredients into egge misture. Add nuts & apples& mix well. Turn into a greased & floured 11×7″ pan & bake for 1 hour.

Icing

2 -3oz. pkgs. cream cheese

2 Tbsp half & half

1/2 soft butter

4 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

dash of salt

Soften cream cheese at room temperature, add half & half, butter, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt—

beat till fluffy -enjoy, joyce

lunch

Lunch-romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacos, miracle whip on whole grain toast (wish I had some sprouts)-joyce

The Past Three Years or Home on the Range

Hi,  Certain time periods in a persons life stand out more than others, the past three years have been one of those times for me.

I need to back track a bit,  about 12 years ago we moved from Cleveland to San Antonio, Mike was able to get transfer and I was tired of the snow.  We purchased a new home, a builders spec. (it had nice extras)-Here is a picture

I missed having outside space, especially with the wonderful weather here.  We found a 10 year old fixer in the middle of 5 wooded acres, about 20 minutes from the Riverwalk and downtown San Antonio.  It is also in a very good developement with fair restrictions, (no mobiles, your must have at least 2 acres, and no more than 5 big  pets, horses ect.)

So we decided to go for it.  --(If  moving up to a fixer is going for it, we have had fixers in the past so dh was was dreading it)
.
What happened after that, the market changed and we wound up having two mortgages at the same time for a little over a year.  We had to mark down the above house quite a bit to move it.
I also went to hell and back- I had cancer in this time frame (level 3 colon, +chemo). (I'm three years cancer free, did some lifestyle changes (I'll blog about later)-and feel great, better than ever before. 

Ok, back to life today and progress on my fixer.  Its just a two story brick box (the back and sides are stucco).  Very plain,  so far we put in a porclein sink, removed the dark brown carpet from the downstairs and replaced it with large clay tile, painted the downstairs walls,  added a electric fence around a acre for my big pets, and put in a large patio out back. I'm not sure what style we want to work the outside into, either New England salt box or maybe Tuscany cause of the stucco.
Here are some pics. I'de like to post some pics of my great kids, but I need to ask them first.\\

Our driveway

                                                        Driveway from the house

Front door, one coat of niagra blue so far, the dog already scratched it

Red -waiting to get out

Curly still a baby

LaLa, Llama with a attitude

Lukie (not a good picture, hes cute)

The two acres behind the pen

The tree that came down a few week ago, the back of the house is behind it.

View from my kitchen

I love this place even though it needs work and is going to take some time and money.  There is lots of good nature photos that I will post sometime in the future, (when I learn to use this camera better).These were all taken this am.

I am now getting back to my art business, need to update my web page, learn more about blogging, ect. I plan on blogging at least once a week. - joyce

Inspiration

Hi, Thought I would share some photos of the items I am using for inspiration in my next set of paintings.  I usually paint at least two at a time (this is a good system to keep from getting bored or overworking a piece)I might use a light cerulean in one, -it is one of my favs.  They will be on heavy wieght acid free watercolor stock, painted in acrylics, all will be a size that fits standard mats and frames. 
I am scheduled to start this series Monday or sooner.-joyce
ps.just spent 2+1/2 hours with my new camera and finally have a ok close up

This is a piece of marble in my kitchen I use for rolling dough when baking.

This is a ring I bought years ago when traveling through Arizona, its a actual vein of turquoise in stone. (sorry about the glare.) 

                                                                                                                                  



And these are a couple of rocks I found in our gravel driveway.