Living Three Months At A Time

 

Driving to Iowa

I’ve been pondering the fact that I now seem to live my life three months at a time. I am on a three month schedule with my oncologist. I have a bone marrow transplant, then three months later a scan and blood tests, then three months later a scan and blood tests, and three months later (tomorrow) no scan but more blood tests, and three months later more tests. I am expecting good test results tomorrow, but still it is a bit nerve wracking. I wonder what my schedule will be going forward for the next few years? Have I ever said that cancer sucks? Well it does.

Last week we drove to Davenport Iowa for Brady’s Seventh birthday. She is quite the princess. We had a nice visit and Brady enjoyed her birthday weekend and skating party.  The drive there was easy with good weather. The drive back home, not so much. Rain, fog, snow kept us occupied. Good to be home in Longmont.

Today Sharon and I booked our flights to and from Barcelona for May. We will be there over three weeks and are excited already. We are flying in Premium Economy on the long flights - this looks pretty nice on both American and British Air. Denver to Miami to Barcelona on the way there and then Barcelona to London to Denver on the return.

Brady Seventh Birthday weekend

 

Team Knox

 

I don’t think they missed us.

 

Chicken Scalopini from my new Nick Stellino cookbook

 

Goat cheese stuffed Anaheim peppers at Cyclehops

 

Brrrr and ahhhh

 

They know how to deal with cold.

Here is an interesting blog I came across today. And another.

Another month and more, time to write something. I have been busy making the cabinets for Sharon’s office. As of today the base units are in and I have built the carcass for the first of three bookshelf units. It is a slow process but moving along.

We’ve had a couple of snows this past month, but neither one went over two inches. I feel this winter has been colder and drier than last. We have however had warms spells. Last week we were up to about 60° and sunny. I used the warm weather to give the Camaro a much needed wash and the Jeep got an interior detail. We had snow Friday night and Saturday and it warmed up into the 40s on Sunday. Today is cold again - midday and on 14°.

I had a fun birthday party at our house. I cooked brisket and ribs. The brisket was one of the best I have done on the Traeger. Sharon made an exceptional caramel cake and everyone had fun.

Builder Bob and his son are here today putting a wall in the basement. It will separate the workshop from the rest of the basement. It will keep dust confined to the workshop and allow me to use Jorge’s idea for a gallery wall.

Health wise I am doing well. I have not had the flu or even a cold. Knock on wood. I have an oncologist check up later this month, lots of blood tests. I have energy, I am gaining weight (darn it.) I do need to get back on my bicycle but I need a run of warmer weather for that. Cancer is a journey. In 2010 after chemo and learning that my Hodgkins lymphoma was gone I thought that was the end of it - I beat cancer. Not so. I now think that cancer is always with you. I am not a survivor, I am outlasting it. I live with the understanding that it can come back and bite me any time. My oncologist told me that the stem cell transplant would buy me about eight years. I’m hoping for ten.

We are going to Davenport this weekend for Brady’s 7th birthday. She is having a party at a roller rink, I am going to pass on that part.

Base cabinets

Bookshelf carcass

My wall

       

 

Happy Holidays

As I write this Sharon and I are on a flight from Denver to Chicago and then on to St. Paul. This is my first flight since my stem cell transplant and I am happy to be cleared to travel again. We are however taking precautions using disinfectant wipes on everything and if someone around me starts coughing or sneezing I will put on a mask. We had a fun and busy Christmas holiday with visitors from Florida - Katie and Jorge Soler, and Chicago with Aliza Soler and Nick Carchidi so we had a houseful! We went up to Rocky Mountain National Park with Katie, Jorge, and Nick and visited Boulder. And, we ate a lot! We cooked Arroz con pollo, burgers, a Cuban meal for Christmas Eve and a three bone roast beast for Christma day. Jorge made a dobosh torte and Sharon made buche de noel on top of assorted cookies and lemon curd. No stomach went unfilled. On Chistmas Eve we had a full house with twelve of us enjoying our Cuban feast. Our trip after Christmas to St. Paul to visit with Larry and Dave was originally a drive to Palm Springs for two weeks with the boys. Though we won’t be as warm, and only gone until January 3, we will have a great New Years. 

I continue to feel well. The stem cell transplant has done its job and I am healthy and have energy. I am almost finished with the basement ceiling and will tackle the cabinets and shelves for Sharon’s office next. The booze room is done except for details with the trim and some touchup painting. I have plenty on my plate to keep me busy in 2018. Sharon will be on the road again starting in January. She has a new customer in the San Diego area and will be flying there a lot. We are planning on Sitges in May with Katie and Jorge.

Despite the cold, we had a very nice New Year visit with Larry and Dave, though Dave had to leave us for California to care for his dad.

 

 

Lymphoma Update

On Monday I trekked to The University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora for a CT Scan, blood tests, and a visit with my Oncologist, Dr. Kamdar - and the results? ALL GOOD!

While Dr. Kamdar would have preferred a PET Scan (Medicare would not approve it) the CT Scan showed a reduction in size of in one of my suspect lymph nodes and no growth in another one, and no enlarged lymph nodes in other spots. My spleen is down to normal size. These are results we were hoping for combined with excellent blood test results. Dr. Kamdar says I am doing exceptionally well for someone who had a bone marrow transplant six months ago. She went so far as to take me off my flying restrictions - I am free to travel based on my overall health and my white blood cell counts. I don’t have to see Dr. Kamdar for another three months, and I won’t have another scan for six months. All good and wonderful news.

The bone marrow transplant did what it was supposed to do and I’ve got another few years ahead of me and I can get on with living. Last year beginning about this time I was in pain, had no energy, was having a difficult time eating, and generally was going downhill. This year I feel really good, though I wish I had the energy I did a few years ago. I suppose part of it is being on the verge of hitting 70 years of age.

On other news... 

In November we had visitors from Michigan and then California. John and Carol - Sharon’s brother and sister-on-law took a train trip from Grand Rapids, to Chicago, to Omaha, then Denver and back. They were here for fours days. Unfortunately, Sharon was in Chesapeake Virginia that week! I showed John and Carol the sights of Longmont, Loveland, and Rocky Mountain National Park and we had a good visit.

For Thanksgiving the Reyes family and Jan Lobbes came for a visit. We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner here with them and on Friday we went to Rocky Mountain National Park after the ladies enjoyed a tour of Celestial Seasonings. Rocky Mountain National Park was a hit with David because while we were there it started snowing - well more sleet than snow, but it was a new experience for him. Jan got to use her Senior National Parks Pass for the first time. It was a short trip up to the Park, but enjoyable. I am enjoying the ability to head up there anytime I want.

Weather wise this month has been interesting - from snow to record high temperatures and sunny skies. Sunrises and sunsets have been spectacular. 

I have made great progress on the basement. We had flooring put in the basement except in the area of my shop and I have finished a bead-board ceiling in the “booze room.” I am now working on the “TV Room” ceiling. We used the TV Room as a bedroom for David and it worked well. I’ve painted the walls and put up baseboard. With some caulking and touchup paint that part will soon be done. As I put up the bead-board ceilings I am replacing the shop lights with recessed LED lighting. Looking good!

 

   

 

 

T Day

The Reyes family is coming from Jamul, California. They are plain eaters and we will make them happy but I need a little zing, thus the tamal azteca.

Sharon is making corn pudding and green beans, and mashed potatoes, and baked sweet potatoes. I think we will also see chocolate pudding, lemon meringue pie, maybe another pie.

I am brining the turkey in a maple bourbon brine. But rather than smoking the turkey it will be conventionally cooked, though in our gas grill.

 

Tamal Azteca

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours

Yield: 8 servings+

Sauce:

1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, undrained - I used two cans.

1 can (4 ounces) roasted green chilies, undrained, chopped - I added a can of chilis in adobo

1/2 tablespoon canola or corn oil

1 small white onion, finely chopped, 1 cup - two small onions

1 clove garlic, minced - whole head of garlic, toasted

1 cup defatted chicken stock - 1 1/2 cups

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro - omitted

Casserole:

8 corn tortillas

1 medium zucchini, diced

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, thoroughly drained

8 ounces fat-reduced Monterey jack, grated, 2 cups

1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. For sauce, combine tomatoes and chilies in a blender and make a coarse puree. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until lightly browned. Increase heat to medium-high, add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomato and chili mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes. Add stock, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Stir in salt, remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Makes 4 cups.

2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread tortillas out on 2 baking sheets sprayed with non-stick vegetable coating. Lightly spray tops of tortillas and place them in heated oven 10 minutes. Turn over and bake 3 minutes more. Remove from oven and set aside, leaving oven on.

3. Steam diced zucchini until just crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from steamer and set aside.

4. To assemble casserole, lightly spray an 11- by 7-inch baking dish with non-stick vegetable oil coating. Spread a thin layer of sauce evenly over bottom. Cover sauce with two of the toasted tortillas. Evenly spread the chopped spinach on top of the tortillas. Top with 1/4 of remaining sauce and 1/4 the cheese. Place two more tortillas on top and press down. Spread the corn on top, cover with 1/3 of remaining sauce and 1/3 of remaining cheese. Top with two more tortillas, again pressing down. Top with zucchini, 1/2 of remaining sauce and 1/2 the cheese. Top with the two remaining tortillas and press down. Spread remaining sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle on remaining cheese.

Colby’s Cranberry Sauce

2 12oz packages of fresh cranberries 

1 cup sugar 

2 cups orange juice

zest of one lemon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

salt

In medium saucepan dissolve sugar in orange juice. Bring to boil, add lemon zest, allspice, ginger. Add rinsed cranberries, return to boil and simmer for 10 minutes or so. Taste. Add salt if desired. Pour into serving dish and let set.

 

Fall

 

Clouds Rolling In

Larry and Sharon at Sprague Lake

Wine Racks Are Finished

Exploring the Cache La Poudre River