We have snow!

We have snow! Not a lot... but continuous. I imagine if it stays like this all day, we'll have some pretty pictures. At the moment, it's only 10 am and I'm still in pj's and not about to venture outside. 

I know our snow is nothing compared to those further up north. Ours is just pretty and a chance to stay home... (schools closed, appointments cancelled, etc.) for a day or two. It'll all clear up in 24-48 hours. 

Started this Thursday morning. It's now Friday and even though it's snowing off and on... very lightly, I think it's over. We have coverage... maybe 1-2 inches, but not as much as expected. I will post my friend's video (which she took yesterday at her place - about 30 minutes north of us).

The birds were out in force looking for food and taking their bits from the cat food out back. We also threw out peanuts and bread - which the Blue jays and Crows quickly took away.

Here's the video I promised: (and remember to first click on the arrow and then click on the far right square to get it to enlarge... much prettier that way) (Then hit the Esc to get out of it) ;)

It's Saturday now and the sun is out. Our snow should be melted and gone by this evening. But it's still cold... 28 F now. 

Hope the rest of you are staying warm. I know you've probably got much colder temps and more snow... so do be careful out there. 

DH made a huge batch of his wonderful red beans and rice - perfect for these cold days... and I made some corn bread muffins to go with it. 

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

(and praying for those caught up in those horrible California fires...)

a quick update... and a few pics

This will be just a short update on my recent MRI and Pet scan since several of you have asked me to keep you updated. The MRI showed something in my lumbar vertebrae - but it is considered benign. It was probably caused by some trauma and may be the reason for my occasional back pain, but nothing to seriously worry about. 

The Pet scan however showed some findings in my lungs that "could be malignant unless proved otherwise" (Radiologist report words).  So they are sending me back to my old Oncologist group to be checked out. To be honest, I'm not worried. As I told my PCP, I've had these nodules/fibrous tissue/scarring in my lungs for 24 years  and I've had a chronic cough for that long. They called it a Radiation cough. They kept an eye on it for a while, then stopped. Why worry about it now? 

But I will go and see what the Oncologist has to say. 

Closing this with some sayings and memes I like:

and...

and this cute picture of knitted frogs:

That's it for now.  Apparently we're in for some cold weather... be careful out there, stay warm, and remember to check for those little critters that may be trying to keep warm inside your car engine.

... and big critters too?

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

January 1, 2025 Rabbit! Rabbit! White Rabbit! Happy New Year!

Rabbit! Rabbit! White Rabbit!

Happy New Year 2025 Everyone!

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

 

Wishing you all... and the world... a happy healthy hopeful 2025!

the end of 2024...

I wanted to post something to mark the end of the year 2024... but not sure what to say. 

When I'm starting this (Sunday) I still haven't gotten the results of my tests. In one respect, I take that as good... no news is good news. In another, it is the holidays and doctors as well are busy with their own families. But in truth, it doesn't matter too much - for as far as I'm concerned life will go on as usual... until it doesn't, right?

The pandemic changed a lot of things... some good, some not... and in some respects, it continues to change things. 

The widening of the division between our country's 2 major parties and the recent election has changed things. 

Climate change (whether you believe it or not) is changing things.

I guess what I'm trying to communicate here is that I'm entering 2025 guardedly? Cautiously? Not sure what to expect. I know they say to not dwell on the past, not worry about the future... just live in the present. Easy to say, not so easy to do. But I'm trying. How about you?

Change has always been around. I was born in the summer of 1945 and yes, many of us have witnessed many many changes over the last 80 plus years. But these days (I guess because of technology) the changes seem to be happening expeditiously (is that the right word?). I wonder if they're happening faster than we can keep up? 

There's a book out that Bill Gates recommended called "The Coming Wave" by Mustafa Suleyman that I read a sample of and bought the book for DH. It talks about AI (it's benefits and risks). It's a warning about the risks that fast-developing technologies pose... 

So possibly more smart-minded people feel this uncertainly. And it's not just us 'aged out older ones' that feel this inability to keep up (although we try). So many things that have real potential to make this a better world - are hard to control. 

I'm a big believer in Science and I want all this research to continue... (stem cell research, cloning, AI, space travel, the Internet, etc.) But we've never been able to have complete control over these things. We've never even been able to have regulations that adequately control guns or immigration. IMO none of these things are bad, they just need to be regulated more efficiently.

But eventually all this uncertainty will fall into younger hands. Since this younger generation has been born into this technological world, perhaps they will be more knowledgeable as to how to control it. I sure hope so.

So I'm going into 2025 with hope... hope that we will weather the next few years well and that the younger generation will eventually take over the reins with confidence and the desire to keep our country united and strong. 

Merry Christmas and Happy 2025 to Everyone!

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

(And don't forget 'Rabbit Rabbit White Rabbit' on January 1st!)

Good Morning! This may be long... but Merry Christmas a day late

It's been an awfully busy last few weeks. Seems like there wasn't time to sit and think... just keep going. Most of it was family and Christmas related, but some had to do with tests that my doctors wanted run... that were stressful for me. I don't feel 'stressed' most of the time, but apparently my body feels otherwise and lets me know in weird ways (migraines, IBS, and recently waking up to headaches, chills, fast heartbeat, and breathing issues). 

I went to my 6 month Cardiologist appointment and EKG and told him what was happening. He said it was "stress"... and I thought, "no... you're wrong." But once home, I googled stress symptoms and all those things (even the chills) can be caused by stress. Maybe he was right.

I was stressed out over the MRI and the Petscan... not for the results (which I haven't gotten yet), but for the tests themselves. I can't lie on my back for any length of time without coughing (chronic radiation cough which I've had for 24 years) and I'm 'a bit' claustrophobic... so 30 -45 minutes lying still could be a problem. But I didn't realize that my body apparently was more stressed out than my mind. My mind always says, "just do it!" and I guess my body screams "NO!" in the middle of the night. (I'm such a weenie!)

Anyway, dealing with that as well as trying to get everything organized for Christmas, goodies all baked, gifts mailed out and/or delivered, etc. has kept me going non-stop. We didn't do a big Christmas dinner, but I did prepare dinner Christmas evening for six with dessert and coffee after opening gifts. It was fun, but what bothers me is that it's getting harder to do. 

Sharing these memes:

And here's a pic of one of the 'goodies cannister' I filled (filled 10).

and here's a pic of the delicious bread a neighbor brought over:

so-oo good!

and of course our ferals got new toys on the back porch... and the heat lamps have been on for them all week.

and I will leave you with a picture of my feet as I enjoy the fire these days...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

May your 2025 be happy, healthy 

and full of love, family, and friends!

(...and thank you for being there for me)

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

Life's little moments... Moose's passing and a post Thanksgiving note...and Rabbit! Rabbit! White Rabbit!

me and Moose 

This is a picture of me and Moose (daughter's Great Dane that passed recently). He was definitely a sweetheart. She took him in when a friend was moving and couldn't take him with her. He was 7 at the time... and quickly became a integral part of the family (so loving and appreciative of life in general). 

They only had him for 7 more years, but he went everywhere with them, traveling in their truck or car, visiting places, etc. He and my daughter were close. Animals tend to pick a person and my daughter was definitely 'his person'. They have and have had many animals (horses, alpaca, rabbits, turtles, chickens, dogs, and cats) on their 8 acres - but I have to say that Moose was 'special'.

He was such a gentle soul. Yet once when someone looked in their kitchen window when my daughter was home alone, he put up such a ruckus that she had to hold him back. Turns out it was a police officer looking for a missing child. But Moose was in 'protection' role. 

And as he aged, he was cold a lot (I'm that way too). Daughter once put him in a sweatshirt and sent me a pic.

And you can see the gray in his muzzle in this pic.

Daughter and Moose

**********************

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Thanksgiving was good. We were 8. Lots of food (Turkey, Ham, jalapeno pecan stuffing, sausage stuffing, a veggie stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, bourbon sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and a cranberry pecan sourdough bread.) Desserts were a chocolate/vanilla cream cheese pudding with a cookie crust, peach pecan cobbler, and a white almond birthday cake (Youngest granddaughter's 12th birthday). Everything tasted wonderful!

Oldest granddaughter brought her 8 month old Burmese Mountain  'puppy'. He's huge, but adorable. Here's a pic:

Weather was cold (finally). It was in the 30's in the early morning, but in the 50's by afternoon. We were able to bundle up and go for a long walk to the stables after Thanksgiving dinner. Then come home to a warm fireplace. All in all, it was a good day. 

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

Sorry it's been a bit since I've posted. Going through some stuff here. Had an routine x-ray taken recently, and that warranted a cat scan. Now they want a MRI and a Pet scan. Trying to get it scheduled before the end of the year. But will keep you posted. 

On another note, Ancestry DNA has been updated recently. 

Most of this didn't surprise me as dad was an O'Regan (very Irish) and mom a D'Aquin (very French). But I had no idea that there was some Scotland in there. I really liked Scotland and the Scottish people when we visited in 1996 and 1998. I haven't done a lot of Ancestry (can be expensive), but do find it interesting. 

Guess I'm getting sentimental in my old age and wish I had known my grandparents and their families - that emigrated from Ireland to England to Canada and America. What stories they could tell...  

And although it's Saturday, November 30th when I'm writing this, I just realized that tomorrow was December 1st and White Rabbit Day! So I'm holding this off to post tomorrow.

Rabbit! Rabbit! White Rabbit!

💙

Working on acceptance...

Can't find the words to put here. Still unsettled, but working on accepting. Trying hard not to think of the scary possibilities...

So I will simply post some memes/posters that say inspiring things:

and...

That's the best I can do for now.  

(I did find this... and do find it helps some (may be psychological) but I'll take it)

Hugs (virtual),

Rian