Got a Blender?

Try this delish smoothie!

A nice handful of fresh organic spinach, 1/2 cucumber, 2 or 3 stalks celery, 1/2 granny smith apple,  juice of 1/2 lemon, several oz coconut water, 6 ice cubes made from purified water.

Put all in the blender and there you have it!  Yummy to the max!  Keep your veggies organic…

Enjoy!

The Latest Real Estate Updates

There have been a couple of houses in Oberlin that we have taken a virtual look at…both in the area of town that we want. The first, down on Morgan Street is pretty exciting because of the base price…it is banked owned right now…The previous owners were growing pot in the basement They are going to jail. The indoor garden was all they needed the house for and they did not actually live there…We’ve seen some pictures and a few people have gone in the house…It need LOTS of work! Actually, it needs to be gutted. It is on a very nice lot. We are leaning away from it because of the expense, and concerns that we could get in a position of cost overruns when the inevitable surprise comes up.  This house is not being considered now.  I just wanted to tell you about it.

The second house is on Elm Street. Closer to the college. iIt has been on and off the market for a long time…It does not show well…we don’t care so much about that. It has no radiators…Tim has found a hybrid heating system that may be a good compromise. Give us the benefits of radiators…. this house needs less work and I’ve seen some pictures…there are some VERY dark colors in the house, especially the bathrooms, and the kitchen needs updating. There is a claw foot tub in one of the pictures…very nice…I just cannot figure out why someone would paint the outside of it a rusty color…go figure! Oak floors downstairs, painted pine upstairs. The house was built in 1878 and has an historic marker. That would dictate what kinds of changes we could do to the house… for example, the exterior is wood and needs painting…We could not change that. The house is in bad need of paint right now…We are exploring paint that lasts a long time. It is a big and expensive project to paint this house. We need paint that lasts forever. The cellar has access from the outside only. Two car detached garage at the back of the lot. Long, unpaved driveway.. We don’t have much more info than that. There is a good chance that we could get a good price for it.

These are just some initial thoughts and observations…We are knee deep in decisions…

PET Scan AND Blood Results are IN!

PET scan all clear! yippee!!!  Blood work the same…I think it looks good.

CA27.29 tumor marker 19.3  (normal is anything below 38.6)

More later…

Do I Look Like a Pin Cushion To YOU???

I yi-yi!  I went on Friday for PET Scan and blood work.  Remember a few weeks ago when the last PET scan fell through and I got the blood draw anyway?  Well, the onc’s office called and said that the blood sample had hemalized and they wanted a re-do.  I wanted to get a Heparin lock at the doc’s office so that the tech at the scan place would not beat up my arm looking for a vein.

I have veins that disappear when they see anyone with a needle.  It does not seem to mater how hydrated I can make myself.   AND the tech at the onc’s office, who, on any other day I really like, insisted on drawing blood from the vein with the hep lock in it.  I wanted the blood draw from the port…it is so much easier there.  I wanted him to put the hep lock in my hand.  It is hard to draw blood from those veins because they collapse with suction, all that vein needed to do is receive the push of the radioactive glucose.  But NOOOOO!  After several failed attempts at some veins, he wanted the one at my elbow…The one that was burned by Chemotherapy drugs and I don’t want anyone to touch…It’s my vein!  Well, by this time, I was in tears because I was, yet again, at the hands of someone who could not get a vein.  I’ve had blood drawn by some outstanding techs so I know it can be done with no trauma…It’s just that some are good and some are NOT!  I let him have the vein and I’m not happy about it.

So here I sit this morning, bruised and battered, and waiting for scan results again…I hate this waiting.

When we get to Ohio, I want to find, right away, the best phlebotomist in town and always to go that person…In fact, if I can get the hep lock done, I can schedule PET scan and MRI within a day of each other, if not on the same day, and get the whole thing over with all at once.  I need someone who can get a vein in a turnip…every time!  Hi all you guys in Ohio who read this!  Any suggestions?

The only other option for veins is my feet, which I understand is VERY painful…I’m working a plan to get a topical, and perhaps injectable (or both)  anestectic to eliminate the pain. I’m sure it can be done.  I really don’t have many veins in my only arm.

The actual scan was easy in comparison.  Reports should be available Monday or Tuesday…I hope I don’t have to make a whole lot of calls to get them…

Sea Symphony Videos

Look what I found! enjoy! Here are two excerpts from A Sea Symphony…

A Week At The Sea (Symphony)

I’m home! It was a great week! Here is an attempt at the highlights…

To start, the campus is beautiful. Surrounded by mountains, the campus has lots and lots of green space and hills, and has a brook running through it. We drove in on Sunday through a very bad storm…lots of thunder and heavy rain…the brook was running fast. People, to a one, were so friendly. There was a distinguished faculty, decent food (fresh veggies and LOTS of salad) and fun things to do during free time in the afternoons.

We rehearsed between five and six hours a day…morning and evening. The chorus, almost 200 of us, came in from 30 states, British Columbia, and Germany and ranged in age from late teens (there were a few) to (and I’m guessing here) about 90 years old. So, the group had years of experience. We were a wonderful chorus (if I do say so myself). I was really pleased, right away, at how responsive we were, as a group, to direction. Our conductor, John Alexander, from Orange County, California, has been directing choruses all his life and was dynamic and able to teach and communicate what he wanted from us. We worked hard and sang well.

It is a daunting task to take what is essentially a pick up chorus, and in five days produce a work as big as the Vaughn Williams Sea Symphony. Mr. Alexander confessed to us, as he addressed us right before Saturday’s concert, that he was wondering, on the previous Sunday, as he was flying in, how this was going to happen. I don’t think the Sea Symphony is performed as much as some other choral works, which if a poll was taken of the group most of us would have sung many times…so many of the chorus were singing this for the first time.

The concert, was performed in an open air venue. A shed, actually. Long, with a domed wood roof, and about 4 roll up metal garage doors on each side. It was so great to sing, essentially outside, on a summer night! We had a large audience for the performance.

Ok, so now the moment we’ve all been waiting for…drumroll please…The AUDITION (S) Yes, that is plural. The pain of one audition was not enough apparently. There are a few places in the Sea Symphony that call for a smaller chorus of about 30 voices. I decided to take the audition for the small chorus sections…and …I GOT IN!!!!! So I sang the semi-chorus sections, two of which were acappella. I even got a * after my name in the program! I took the Vespers audition on Wednesday afternoon. I think it went reasonably well. There were two faculty persons in the room, one was playing the piano, and one was scoring me. I think my pitch was pretty good. I had an attack of the nerves monster (you know, the one who steals your breath and chokes your throat) yeah, that one. I sang around it as best I could. I felt soooo much better after it was over! I hope I gave them what they are looking for. They heard at least 30 auditions this week in person, and more will send in CDs. They want a chorus of around 100. I will hear one way or the other in October. I’ll let you know…keep praying, because if they have not eliminated me already, and they have to choose between me and an other…..we all know who we want them to choose!

I’ll say more later…just wanted to get something posted first thing this morning!

Almost Ready to Go!

I’m leaving, tomorrow, for the choral festival.  I’m really looking forward to this…I’ve been reviewing the music and refreshing my memory..

I’ve also taken a few voice lessons and got some coaching to help prepare for the audition.  It has been extremely helpful…now, all I have to do is take my fearless self in there and give it all I got!  There are interesting traps built into the exercises.  Please pray for clear, strong voice and perfect pitch.  And that my voice is the color and quality that they are looking for.

I’m leaving the laptop at home, so I think I’ll be incommunicado next week.

Ahhh those Summer Nights….

Well I think we are officially smack in the middle of the dog days.  Hot as blazes…but the nights…I love the nights!  The cicadas are buzzing in the trees, and the crickets have started…they are a week late this year…I saw one in the grass a few of weeks ago (right on time)  and then listened for them and…nothing…interesting.  The lightening bugs are fun to watch in the grass…and the birds running around after them to eat them….

Last night I watched as a wall of black clouds crept in from the west.  It’s fun to feel for the change of air temp and the smell of approaching rain.  I love the soft warm feel and smell of the air on summer nights.

I feel like I want to memorize it to let it carry me through tough times and winter.  I’ve been grieving the death of some else I know…Tim and I went to a memorial lunch this past Saturday…  The lushness and extravagance of life outside now,  as the summer is completely mature feels like a cradle to rest in.  So I do.

Homemade Deodorant

At last! This one is an answer to prayer…I’ve found out about a natural homemade deodorant that REALLY works…sometimes the store bought “natural” ones don’t work very well, and a lot of them have some undesirable ingredients.

Here is the recipe: 1/4 cup baking soda - 1/4 cup corn starch - several spoons of coconut oil…mix all together and store in jar, or put in existing deodorant container. I prefer a glass jar…not too fond of plastics.

I love it!

Real Estate News

It’s not like there is nothing to write about….Lots of new things to consider…We are still on the hunt for a house in Oberlin. We had a good possibility of a ranch house…it got rented out from under us…Oh, well…not that one. There is an apartment, in a good location…multi-dwelling house, on the second floor, good light (I think), washer and dryer in the apartment, all utilities metered to our apartment.  Can’t get our stuff out of storage, no dishwasher, no radiators…sigh…but we may take it when it becomes available.

Last weekend we interviewed a real estate agent who works in the county and liked her.  In the culture of the town that involves a lot of sale by owner and word of mouth sales I was not sure where an agent might work for us and not alienate the owners of a house we would like…I think this agent would have a good touch.  We do have time I keep reminding myself…despite the uncertainty of not knowing, real estate prices are dropping like a rock in Ohio, which is good for us as Byers.  We certainly do not want to over pay for a property.

There are a couple of houses to consider, and a hybrid heating system that may make houses that have forced air heat more desirable.  The hybrid heating system uses hot water and fits into existing ductwork…interesting…very efficient…don’t know how expensive.  Would work even better with radiators.

Anyway, all of this is exhausting and I’ve been avoiding the blog.  I sit to write and can’t begin…Think I’ll go hide under the covers now