The month of August has come and gone. The day we arrived back from our Thelin family reunion I started on my two cancer medications. They are not chemo, but just one pill a day, Thalidomide and 10 little pills once a week (cortisone). It is now the primary treatment for my Mulitiple Myeloma. No stem cell transplant for me again!
The month of August is pretty much of a blur. The Thalidomide causes light-headedness and dizziness. That lasted about 3 1/2 weeks. Now the dizziness has worn off or my body is finally used to it.
My fracture of the L2 vertebre is taking a long time to heal and causes me much pain. I manage to maintain by taking pain pills. My men help by vacuuming and lifting laundry baskets and whatever else I ask them to do. Frank even asked me to teach him how to MAKE A CHICKEN SANDWICH! I told him it wasn't rocket science but I showed him anyway and now he CAN MAKE HIS OWN DINNER! YEE HAH
During the worst of the side effects I managed to make it to sacrament meeting to play the organ and then went home after. I keep looking over my shoulder and muttering "What's next!"
The other night as I was reading the scriptures I opened to 1st Nephi 3:37 and found the perfect words the Lord wanted me to hear. "
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Reunion Pictures
Jay and Dana Thelin our hosts.
Hanging out at the campsite in Island Park
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Beverley and I at Yellowstone Park
Lap Quilts and PJ Pants
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Terrin's pose
Collin Marchant
Terrin David Marchant
Camron Casey Marchant
Thanks to Glen's family, Eric's kids all were made flannel lap quilts and pajama pants.
I tried to take pictures of them all and forgive me if I did not get everyone.
The kids were all thrilled and wanted to put the PJ pants on right away! The TV is on the wall in the living room so the quilts will be sooo cozy to cuddle with when they watch a movie.
They also made up a recipe notebook with all their favorite and EASY recipes for Eric to cook! Can't thank you all enough for your generosity at this difficult time!
Crock Pot Blog
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This is an awesome blog about 365 days of cooking only in a crockpot. You can google it at crockpot cooking blog.
Barack Obama's Chili Recipe--in the CrockPot
Day 308.
The result is a mild and pleasant chili, suitable for all ages. The kids gladly ate this, and not once complained about spice---a complaint that is quite common at our dinner table. Adam and I added a few drops of Tabasco sauce to our bowls.
The Ingredients.
--1 can kidney beans (and the goop!)
--1 lb lean ground meat (I used ground chicken)
--1 green bell pepper, chopped
--1 large onion, chopped
--5-6 medium tomatoes, chopped (include seeds and all)
--4 chopped cloves of garlic
--1 tsp cumin
--1 tsp oregano
--1 tsp basil
--1 tsp turmeric
--2 tsp chili powder (I started with 1, but added another after a few hours. Do what's right for your family)
--1 tsp salt
--3 T red wine vinegar
The Directions.
I used a 6 quart Smart Pot for Obama's chili.
I made the executive decision to increase all of the spices from the original recipe, because in CrockPot cooking, the slow simmer of the ingredients cooking can overpower added spices. I'm glad that I upped everything---the flavors were there, but they were subtle and not overpowering.
I gave myself a pat on the back.
I also decided to not brown the meat on the stove top. I hate browning meat, and since the chicken I used was quite lean, I just crumbled it in raw. If you are going to use beef, or enjoy browning meat, go for it.
Chop up the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Add to the crockpot. Open the can of beans, and pour in the whole thing. Add the ground meat. Stir in all of the spices and the red wine vinegar.
Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. I cooked our chili on low for 9 hours.
Season with a bit more salt, to taste.
Obama serves his chili over rice, so we did too. The kids really liked that a lot----they love white rice.
The Verdict.
Very tasty! It does not pack a punch the way traditional chili does, which was a pleasant change. I loved the addition of cumin and turmeric---I am new to turmeric, and like how it turns things orange.
We're going to have the leftovers as taco filling.
The result is a mild and pleasant chili, suitable for all ages. The kids gladly ate this, and not once complained about spice---a complaint that is quite common at our dinner table. Adam and I added a few drops of Tabasco sauce to our bowls.
The Ingredients.
--1 can kidney beans (and the goop!)
--1 lb lean ground meat (I used ground chicken)
--1 green bell pepper, chopped
--1 large onion, chopped
--5-6 medium tomatoes, chopped (include seeds and all)
--4 chopped cloves of garlic
--1 tsp cumin
--1 tsp oregano
--1 tsp basil
--1 tsp turmeric
--2 tsp chili powder (I started with 1, but added another after a few hours. Do what's right for your family)
--1 tsp salt
--3 T red wine vinegar
The Directions.
I used a 6 quart Smart Pot for Obama's chili.
I made the executive decision to increase all of the spices from the original recipe, because in CrockPot cooking, the slow simmer of the ingredients cooking can overpower added spices. I'm glad that I upped everything---the flavors were there, but they were subtle and not overpowering.
I gave myself a pat on the back.
I also decided to not brown the meat on the stove top. I hate browning meat, and since the chicken I used was quite lean, I just crumbled it in raw. If you are going to use beef, or enjoy browning meat, go for it.
Chop up the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Add to the crockpot. Open the can of beans, and pour in the whole thing. Add the ground meat. Stir in all of the spices and the red wine vinegar.
Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. I cooked our chili on low for 9 hours.
Season with a bit more salt, to taste.
Obama serves his chili over rice, so we did too. The kids really liked that a lot----they love white rice.
The Verdict.
Very tasty! It does not pack a punch the way traditional chili does, which was a pleasant change. I loved the addition of cumin and turmeric---I am new to turmeric, and like how it turns things orange.
We're going to have the leftovers as taco filling.
365 days of Crockpot recipes
If you google crockpot booking blog, you can find this blog. There is a great stew recipe and Obama's chili recipe. They both look good enough to try.
I just got back from teaching my gardening group for the ward. We have around 9 attendees. Today we discussed sprouting seeds and planting seeds indoors. They even did a hands-on start to sprouting. We all shared seeds with each other and it was a fun time. We have one sister that saves her flower seeds so I came home with some new seeds to plant.
When you live in the NW you have to get ahead of the planting game. I already have peas, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, turnips, radishes and kale (use in soups and stews or in salads) planted in the ground. The peas have erupted from the soil after a spring bout with snow.
So we are all excited for the real spring weather to come. The weatherman said it should not be rainy Thursday through Sunday so I urged all the sisters in the group to get out and plant their cold weather peas.
I just got back from teaching my gardening group for the ward. We have around 9 attendees. Today we discussed sprouting seeds and planting seeds indoors. They even did a hands-on start to sprouting. We all shared seeds with each other and it was a fun time. We have one sister that saves her flower seeds so I came home with some new seeds to plant.
When you live in the NW you have to get ahead of the planting game. I already have peas, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, turnips, radishes and kale (use in soups and stews or in salads) planted in the ground. The peas have erupted from the soil after a spring bout with snow.
So we are all excited for the real spring weather to come. The weatherman said it should not be rainy Thursday through Sunday so I urged all the sisters in the group to get out and plant their cold weather peas.
Pictures of my Brother's grandkids (Triplets)
The picture directly above with Henry in the brown outfit, was taken at another time when they were older than a month I think. Henry is now bigger than the girls and so can go longer between feedings. We hear that JaNea and Nipper(Michael) have help from their ward family.We just received pictures of my niece's triplets in Portland, Lucy, Henry and Charlotte Neff. Grandma Thelin is such a proud Grandma! We were thrilled to see these pictures. They were born in December and these pictures are at a month old.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
The strawberries are very close to ripening. That's why I love living in the NW. The berries are wonderful and so delicious. Half the strawberries never make into the house. Either my grandkids or myself eat them first!
Life's Moments
This was quoted in an article by the author of "The Purpose Driven Life" who recently just sold over a million copies of his book. He asked the Lord what he wanted him to do with the money.
He took himself off the payroll of his church in California,
He paid back the church for the 25 years he took a salary, and
Happy moments, PRAISE Heavenly Father.
Difficult moments, SEEK Heavenly Father..
Quiet moments, WORSHIP Heavenly Father.
Painful moments, TRUST Heavenly Father.
Every moment, THANK Heavenly Father
Connecting with Cousins
Today I called my cousin who lives in the neighboring town of Camano Island. Her name is Donna Marley and her father and mother are Murray and Pat Thelin. She was raised in Seattle. Murray Thelin was my Uncle Walter's son so Donna and I are second cousins. Her father, Murray was a hemopheliac and so is Donna and one of her sons.
I hate to admit the last time I talked with her was at the grocery store three years ago! At the time something was very wrong with her health-wise but the doctors could not determine what.(After two years they discovered a tumor on the pituitary gland which caused all her internal organs start failing. She had two strokes, a heart attack, two brain operations to remove some of the tumor. (eventually the surgeons told her the rest of the tumor would have to stay since it was inoperable). Her liver stopped working, she gained 140 lbs in two years and was in a wheelchair and on oxygen.
If that's not enough she has 8 children, most of which are adopted. The youngest is now six. It became necessary for her married daughter and her new husband to move back home to care for the family.
She had two priesthood blessings for comfort and endurance, but when she prayed she was told that healing was not to be a part of those Priesthood blessngs YET. Then last May she prayed and received the answer that it was time for a HEALING blessing. She was helped out of the wheelchair and needed help to get into the chair. After the blessing the healing was immediate. She jumped out of the chair and walked in a completely normal way to the car. The next day she went on a two mile walk with her family at a normal pace. She is a very special person who has incredible faith. She talked of having a very, very personal relationshsip with her Heavenly Father.
She still has residual effects from the ordeal. Today she has no pituitary gland or adrenal glands so takes medication to replace what those things did in the body. A wheelchair is no longer needed and she is able to take care of her family. She has no fight or flight mechanism caused by the absence of adrenal glands. So when she starts contracting an ordinary cold she feels the adrenal failure coming and has 2-4 hours before she dies. So 911 is called and she is hospitalized to stabilize her condition. BUT SHE IS ALIVE!
I found no reason to whine or complain about anything in my life after I finished talking with her.
I hate to admit the last time I talked with her was at the grocery store three years ago! At the time something was very wrong with her health-wise but the doctors could not determine what.(After two years they discovered a tumor on the pituitary gland which caused all her internal organs start failing. She had two strokes, a heart attack, two brain operations to remove some of the tumor. (eventually the surgeons told her the rest of the tumor would have to stay since it was inoperable). Her liver stopped working, she gained 140 lbs in two years and was in a wheelchair and on oxygen.
If that's not enough she has 8 children, most of which are adopted. The youngest is now six. It became necessary for her married daughter and her new husband to move back home to care for the family.
She had two priesthood blessings for comfort and endurance, but when she prayed she was told that healing was not to be a part of those Priesthood blessngs YET. Then last May she prayed and received the answer that it was time for a HEALING blessing. She was helped out of the wheelchair and needed help to get into the chair. After the blessing the healing was immediate. She jumped out of the chair and walked in a completely normal way to the car. The next day she went on a two mile walk with her family at a normal pace. She is a very special person who has incredible faith. She talked of having a very, very personal relationshsip with her Heavenly Father.
She still has residual effects from the ordeal. Today she has no pituitary gland or adrenal glands so takes medication to replace what those things did in the body. A wheelchair is no longer needed and she is able to take care of her family. She has no fight or flight mechanism caused by the absence of adrenal glands. So when she starts contracting an ordinary cold she feels the adrenal failure coming and has 2-4 hours before she dies. So 911 is called and she is hospitalized to stabilize her condition. BUT SHE IS ALIVE!
I found no reason to whine or complain about anything in my life after I finished talking with her.
Tulips, Tulips, Tulips
What a weekend we had. All I can say is Ooo-lah-lah!!!
Friday my friend Diana was over and we asked if she had ever been to Rozengarde to see the tulip garden. She had not so off we went! Frank did not want to go very bad but we conned him into it by saying pretty please. It worked. We saw myriad colors of red, yellow, purple, orange, pink and all others in between. Because the tulips were two weeks late in blooming we had the rare opportunity to see the other plants in bloom. The azaleas, rhodedenrons, daffodils, hyacinths, primroses, and flowering cherries were all in perfect blooming form!
Sunday morning Kali and Gabe called to ask if we wanted to go to the tulips and meet Gabe's two sisters, one of which was visiting from San Diego with her two daughters. Her name was Lita and her daughters were Jennifer and Katrina (as in the hurricane).
Maug is the youngest sister in the family who lives in Seattle. She and her husband Frank are both attorneys. She is retired and home with her 3 yr. old Iris and 1 yr. old boy whose name I can't remember. We had a wonderful afternoon with them.
MONDAY, Cindy Boswell (Miller) called and said, "I haven't been to see the tulips. Would you like to go?" I'm a glutton for beautiful flowers so off we went again. The fields were muddy from the overnight rain but no rain fell while we examined each and every bloom. Afterwards we lunched on Shrimp Omlet at our favorite restaurant, Calico Cupboard in Mt. Vernon. Oh the taste buds are sooo happy!
Friday my friend Diana was over and we asked if she had ever been to Rozengarde to see the tulip garden. She had not so off we went! Frank did not want to go very bad but we conned him into it by saying pretty please. It worked. We saw myriad colors of red, yellow, purple, orange, pink and all others in between. Because the tulips were two weeks late in blooming we had the rare opportunity to see the other plants in bloom. The azaleas, rhodedenrons, daffodils, hyacinths, primroses, and flowering cherries were all in perfect blooming form!
Sunday morning Kali and Gabe called to ask if we wanted to go to the tulips and meet Gabe's two sisters, one of which was visiting from San Diego with her two daughters. Her name was Lita and her daughters were Jennifer and Katrina (as in the hurricane).
Maug is the youngest sister in the family who lives in Seattle. She and her husband Frank are both attorneys. She is retired and home with her 3 yr. old Iris and 1 yr. old boy whose name I can't remember. We had a wonderful afternoon with them.
MONDAY, Cindy Boswell (Miller) called and said, "I haven't been to see the tulips. Would you like to go?" I'm a glutton for beautiful flowers so off we went again. The fields were muddy from the overnight rain but no rain fell while we examined each and every bloom. Afterwards we lunched on Shrimp Omlet at our favorite restaurant, Calico Cupboard in Mt. Vernon. Oh the taste buds are sooo happy!
Oregon
We took a quick 2 1/2 day trip to Oregon to see my brother Ron and his wife Betty. They had ripe blueberries to pick. I had just had Chemo Friday morning and we left right after. I didn't feel all that great with back pain whenever I did much of anything. Ron has chicken so had tons of eggs all in the fridge in containers not washed. Well, that night I could not find my benedryl to make me sleepy so I couldn't go to sleep until 1 in the morning.
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