Wednesday June 4 2008

Gloria - See you Friday!

Sister Diana, Lynn, Daughters Debbie, Beverly, Sister Gloria
At Landry's Restaurant for Dinner

Lynn - Clothes Shopping for Gloria's Birthday

Gloria in New Outfit - a Keeper

Debbie Picking Out Clothes for Gloria

Bella was waiting with toys before I got out of bed. She wants to play all day long.

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This morning Debbie took off for the airport at 7 a.m. to pick up my sister Gloria. She arrived to be here through the weekend and will go back to Tucson early Monday. I thought I had plenty of time to get breakfast, showered and ready to go for the day by the time they got back, Debbie said two hours, but it was hardly an hour and I had been sitting out on the patio again with breakfast and playing with the dog when they came back. So I got my rear in gear and got ready. We visited here a while and then went to my 11 a.m. doctor appointment at the Nevada Cancer Center. I saw Dr. Wu, he was nice and we liked him very much. Although he gave a quite long medical lesson. It was partly stuff we already knew and partly some interesting things about new things that are happening with research and treatments. He had read my records which had been faxed and said he and his colleagues agreed that Full Fury is the proper treatment for me at this time, and that in some cases it is doing very good things. It was mainly used with good results for bowel/colon cancers, and now they are having good reports with it for pancreatic cancer. Then had blood drawn to make sure I'll be good to take the treatment. He scheduled it for Monday at 9:45 and said it would take about 3 hours. That is half the time as at Jackson, so will see if it actually is that much shorter. I have to email them my list of prescriptions in the morning - sure hoping I have it saved in the external hard drive where I had a full list already typed up - or I will have to do it over.

By then it was time for lunch and we went to Chopstix for Chinese food. Next Debbie, Gloria and I went to Avenue, a clothes store where Bev, Deb and I got Gloria a couple of new outfits for her birthday gifts. She found quite a few cute things she liked. I got a couple of those camisole tops - I have been wanting some for a while and never had found any. Back to Debbie's to meet Beverly - she came over after work. And we all went to meet my other sister Diana at Landry's for an early dinner. It was very nice.

Diana took Gloria home with her, and they have things planned they are going to do. Diana lives in Henderson. They'll be back for Tayler's graduation Friday and the graduation party Saturday. Also my niece Sue is flying in Friday night. Haven't seen her for years. It wasn't very hot today, but the wind blew hard in the evening. That's pretty much the news for today.

Tuesday June 3 2008

Bella Swims on the First Step

These Purple Flowering Trees Grow Here

Patio

Max

Curtis' and Debbie's Pool

Be sure to scroll back down to Sunday and see the new photos I posted of Plumnilly.

Slept good in my wonderful room. This morning we went out to the pool for a while, Debbie scrubbed some of the tile around the spa. I had my yogurt, cereal and juice out in the patio. Then sat out there all morning using the computer to edit photos. We're just staying home hanging out today. Put my suit on and thought I'd get in the pool and swim but the water is still a little cool, so I waded. I'll try it again on a warmer day. Bella has kept me busy throwing her toys, she is like a wind up toy herself.

Tayler has her big graduation party Saturday here so Debbie will be busy getting ready for that. May be over 50 people. Tayler's already gone off playing tennis with Jeremy.

We're all looking forward to seeing my sister Gloria tomorrow. Debbie will go to get her at the airport, and then come back home. I'll just wait here, that traffic kind of stresses me. We'll all go to my doctor appointment at 11 a.m. I will be glad to be with Gloria all day. It's Gloria's b-day, actually today, She wanted to spend her birthday home with Bob. But we will celebrate with her tomorrow.

Debbie is grilling chicken and corn for dinner.

Monday June 2 2008

Clayton and Shane blow out their candles

Five Birthday People,

Tayler, Stacey, Clayton, Tyler and Shane

My Family,

Granddaughter Tayler, Daughter Debbie,

Grandsons Clay and Shane, Granny, Daughter Beverly

Betty was feeling better this morning but still not totally up to snuff. Hope she continues to get well soon. It was pretty worrisome to be sick that way. We visited until Debbie got there and sat outside in the courtyard for a while amongst the plants and flowers - I had my yogurt and orange juice out there. I want to put a few pictures of Betty's place in the blog as soon as I get time.

Today Debbie came to Betty's to pick me up and take me to Vegas. It's about an hour drive. My car is staying at Betty's until I go home, and then Debbie is going back to the ranch with me. We ate lunch at Marie Calender's and went in to Walmart for birthday cards, then home to Debbie's. Debbie made BBQ beans for the birthday party.

About 5 p.m. Debbie, Curtis and I went over to Beverly and Brent's for a big family birthday party and barbecue. Tayler and her boyfriend Jeremy went too. Jeremy seems very nice. Clay and Shane are Beverly's sons, Tayler is Debbie's daughter, and Stacy and Tyler are Brent's sister and brother. There were about 25 or so who came to the party. Brent cooked burgers and hot dogs on his new father's day grill, and Beverly and Debbie did the rest. I really enjoyed the evening. The weather was perfect to sit out in the back yard.

I was glad to get several photos of our family together. It seems like that doesn't happen often enough. I got good pictures of the party and might add a few more tomorrow. Grandson Justin had to work and wasn't there. Brent's got a big family and a lot of them were there, his mom and dad, and lots of cousins, aunts and uncles.

We have good news and that is that Shane and Andrea are going to have a baby. She might be a little more than two months. They showed me an album of their pictures of the sonograms. So those are pictures of my first little great grandchild.

My sister Gloria will get here on Wednesday morning so will get to see her for a few days. She lives down south of Tucson in Green Valley. <P>Judi wrote and told me Pinedaleonline's server in TX had an explosion that blew out WALLS of their building. Caused by high voltage wires catching fire. The server won't be back to full power for several months, but with generators they hope to have pinedaleonline up and running tonight or tomorrow! (Yes it's back tonight - it's been offline for maybe three days.)

PHOTOS OF PLUMNILLY PLACE

Betty calls her property Plumnilly Place. The house is called The Villa. It is perched on a hill or bluff above the Rio Virgin Valley. There are so many trees that you can't get a photo of the front of the house, but it is of Spanish architecture. Betty and her helper Martin have been steadily working on landscaping and renovating or repairing the house and yard. Because of the hill, the retaining walls are necessary. Martin has done all the new retaining walls, planters and decorative walls. Each wall or planter is unique and hand crafted, but flows with the others. It has been a big undertaking and they've really done a wonderful job, following the spirit of the house and making it fit into the surrounding landscape. The old planters or retaining walls were wood, which has rotted and had to be replaced. Betty and Brooks built the house about 20? years ago and it is all custom built. Betty hand rubbed and finished all the walnut woodwork, doors and cabinets herself.

Back Yard, Grapevines on left. Birdfeeders.

And a dry river bed to the right of the grassy area.

Another panorama, stitched together.

East Terrace

Venerable Mequite Tree - it is huge.


Shows the Penthouse Above
That is where I stayed this time.

Front Entrance, Stitched photos, a little crooked

Cody Chasing "Lizards"

Caitlin, stays inside.

There is another cat, Goldie, who can go out.

Front Walkway

West Terrace Planters and Retaining Walls

Looking East at the Driveway

There is a Garage at top of the stair level,

and an Arbor for extra vehicle.

The steps are new and have decorative

tiles at thetop to match others on the house.

Arbor Carport

Trumpet Vines are Planted that

will begin to cover the arbor

Shows Garage and Retaining Walls

At Garage Level

More walls and planters at the driveway.

Courtyard walls, various stucco, weathered wood and stone.

A section of weatherwood wall is built into an "S" curve.

Looking Across Front Flower Planters from Courtyard

Planters in Front

Another view of East Terrace with Stucco, Wood and Rock Walls

Retaining Walls West of the Courtyard

Sunday June 1 2008

Sunrise over Mesquite

The sunrise this morning was quite beautiful with the lights of Mesquite beneath. I seldom see a sunrise. Yes, I did go back to bed. Betty is feeling a little better this morning, and I'm feeling more rested, although I can nod off at any given moment just sitting in a chair. It's very peaceful here.

Betty has a lot of bird feeders and many kinds of birds of this area show up in her back yard. There are also chipmunk families cleaning up the fallen seed. This chipmunk is larger, with one white line down each side, than the little ones with several lines I remember from when I lived here. I have to look that one up.

Something is getting in to her hanging sunflower feeder and this morning it was broken lying on the ground. Whatever is doing climbs into the tree and down to the feeder and it is a nuisance. She's ready to track down the maurader.

Betty stayed in bed most of the day. This afternoon I gave in and had a nap. When I woke up I walked around the yard and took a bunch of photos, but haven't edited them yet. Maybe later I can show you pictures of the house and gardens.

She felt better later in the day and we took a ride over to her friend Ruth's house so I could meet her. We got acquainted and she showed us her neat home and yard. Her plants and trees look very happy. Ruth is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force and has lived all over the world. She is in Betty's line dancing class, which is where they first met.

When we got back to Betty's I made an apricot cobbler out of some apricots a neighbor had brought her from his trees and used a gluten free biscuit mix for the top. It turned out very good with Bryer's french vanilla ice cream on top and we pigged out on cobbler. That was about all to report from the day.

My feet and legs are swelling up, retaining fluid, they do it every time I come down here. Dr. Boyle said it was caused mainly by the change in elevation and prescribed a water pill, so I took one today. I suppose it will have me up several times in the night, but do that anyway. Just hope it works. All I need is another pill.

Saturday May 31 2008

Betty and Cody

Betty getting Manicure

Me Getting Pedicure

This was a sleep in morning, after going to bed about 8 p.m. I was in the penthouse for about 14 hours. Betty had been up for hours by the time I got downstairs. First Beverly called and then got a call from Debbie. She will pick me up here and take me to Vegas on Monday about 11 a.m. My car is staying here and I won't have to drive into the traffic.

Betty called a nail salon and got appointments, she for a manicure and me for mani-pedi. I sat in their magnificent massage chair for most of an hour, and enjoyed it immensely. New experience. It was less than half the price here than the other two I've had before, which was a pleasant surprise. After that we went to lunch for fajita salads at Buffalo Southwest. We thought we'd go to a movie and checked out what was playing and the times. And back home.

We went over to Martin and Maria's and saw his metal artwork. He is the one Betty hires to help her with work around her place. He does embossed painting-sized scenes of all kinds of subjects on silver, aluminum and copper, and also makes the frames. He is an excellent artist and to transfer his ideas and drawings to such a difficult medium is quite a feat. He does painting and stained glass work too. He is very talented in many ways including the creative ways he's constructed the walls and other things in Betty's yard.

All day I meant to call Doreen, another high school friend, and "all of a sudden" it was too late. She lives in Logandale about 30 miles from here. Linda is also there but has been traveling, thought she'd be back tomorrow. We all need to get together for lunch while I'm down this way. So that will be one of the first things to check out on Sunday.

Betty paid the price for lunch out with an upset. We both had exactly the same thing except for dressing, but she has problems that I don't with additives, gluten and such. I'm o.k. so must not be food poisoning. We sure hope she is better by morning.

Through the afternoon while Betty rested I got the blog pretty well caught up. There has been a lot of behind the scenes work on getting the photos together, and that's what has made it slow. I will take some pictures of Betty's place and the flower gardens in the morning, so check back later for some more photos.

Setting Up the Chemo Treatments in Las Vegas

Bridal Veil Falls Near Provo on Thursday

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Judy in Jackson had asked me to call her on Friday. She had been setting up an appointment for me at the Nevada Cancer Institute, and couldn't get me an appointment there so next tried the Nevada Cancer Center. Then told me to call them and with Debbie and I both working on it, we did. But, we had run into a snag. The first doctor appointment I could get there with the doctor Judy wanted was June 31, then with another Dr. June 17. I would be on my way home by then . Judy said I could miss one treatment if this isn't going to work out, but not two. I've been telling them there for 3 months I wanted to travel - fill in the blanks.

So Friday I called Sundi at NV Cancer and she said all she had any thing to do with was making the appointment with the Dr. She said I could see a Dr. Wu Wednesday June 4 at 11 a.m. at the Tenaya location (very near Debbie's house). There is no hint of what date after seeing the Dr. that I might have the treatment, but she did say it would not be the same day. He will schedule me for the treatment after the consultation. Also you have to see him first before they will take your insurance. Then the Dr. has to write the orders for the cancer drugs. I just figured if Jackson had all the info and faxed it to them that really should be good enough. But it probably has most to do with them wanting to be bothered with you for the hassle of medicare and insurance etc.

So if things don't go pretty well getting an early date, I might have to go back home earlier than I planned. I'm getting tired of nothing ever working right, or always getting so confused. If I had known it might not work out, I probably would have stayed home to have the scheduled treatments there.