Chicago Confirmation

Recently I was in Chicago for my handsome nephew's Confirmation.  This kid reminds me so much of my son T....talking to him is like going back in time....and witnessing his strong faith is an inspiration. I was honored to be his sponsor.

My first stop in Chi-town was Bistrot Zinc in  Gold Coast....fabulous French cuisine, excellent wine list and superb service.

Sister number 1, my nephew, C and I all left there fat and happy.

Sister number 1 is an avid needlepointer, so the next day we took a field trip....loved this shop.

That night I felt like I was in Germany instead of on the South Side for this deliciously authentic  homemade meal.  The apple strudel was amazing.

They had so many cool steins (and beers)...

I was inspired to order this for Big T....at least one Christmas gift checked off the list! 

The Confirmation was Sunday afternoon.  Sister number 2 threw a great party after the mass.  We sisters  love a celebration....and toasting my Godson on his Confirmation was definitely worth fighting for.

My Favorite Things

Friends, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I may have overdone the feast a bit, and have struggled the entire holiday with my "new normal" body.  Every now and then, even though I am so very grateful to be alive, I will become really frustrated by what cancer did to my body.  I know I am not alone in this, and we all have our own ways of dealing with it.  

For me, I try to focus on why I fought so hard in the first place to stay alive:  my family. 

Just as I knit these baby blankets when I was going through treatment to remind myself of all the wonderful things my future would hold (read:  grandchildren), I try to bring my mind back to those happy thoughts when I start feeling overwhelmed by how cancer has changed my body and my life.

Wouldn't my future grand child look so cute sitting on this blanket for their baby  portrait?  (Please note that M, above, is not sitting on a blanket at all, and I didn't even realize it until the photo was framed and hung next to his brother and sister's that do have blankets. But I digress...)

Thankful List 2016

Last night we had four of our five home with us.  Big T and I were in heaven.  I am so thankful for my family.

Those four love pumpkin pie....so I made this with my mom's homemade crust recipe.  I have since decided that life is too short to make your own pie crust.  

Sister Number 1 swears this tastes the same as mom's.  Never making one from scratch again.  I am so thankful for my sisters.

Don't let these two fool you....they ate the entire leftover pumpkin pie off the counter last night. (Did I mention it had a homemade crust?) Not so thankful for them right now....

This makes the most flavorful, moist bird.  Even I cannot mess this up....and that is something for Big T to be thankful for.

B and I will be watching this on November 25th.  We cannot wait. I am so thankful for my girls! 

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!  Enjoy!

The New York Report

Our first mission when we hit Manhattan was to finally see Jersey Boys.  We loved all the Four Season's songs.  

 Next stop was one of the best dinners I have had in. my. life.

The interior was beautifully decorated for fall with mums, pumpkins, gourds, etc that I meant to photograph for you, but the food distracted me...

The cookie plate dessert was amazing.  We were in heaven.

Thursday morning sister number 1, C and I walked to my favorite breakfast place.  We needed to fuel up for a big day of shopping.

C has inherited my addiction to Mackenzie-Childs.

Big T didn't think we could get close to Tiffany's because of the protestors outside of Trump Tower.  Challenge accepted....

I love the snowflakes that hang over 5th Avenue every holiday season.

Laduree is C's life....the new flavor, Vanilla Pecan, is my new favorite.

Central Park was absolutely gorgeous--sunny, sixty, and ablaze with color.

The colo-rectal event was a really fun way to raise a ton of money.  Hoda Kobt spoke beautifully about her life before and after cancer....LOVE her.  Life is good after cancer...

especially with sister number 1 and C!

New York, New York

Today Big T and I are meeting C and sister number 1 in NYC.   

Friends, for the last three years, every trip to the Big Apple has included a visit here.

But this trip is all pleasure!  "Buying Time", the brain child of an ND teammate of Big T's, supports colo-rectal cancer.

So once I figure out what to wear, I am headed to the airport.  I will tell you all about it when I return.  Have a great weekend!

It Is Time

Friends, Big T and I were excited to finally have a weekend at home in KC.  Sixties and sunny made for the perfect chance to get some gardening finished in anticipation of Thanksgiving festivities.  While we checked off the jobs on our list, I kept thinking about what I would be doing on Monday morning.

Today was my first day volunteering at the KU Cancer Center.  I kept wondering worrying about whether I would have an anxiety attack when I walked through the doors.  I chose a clinic where I did NOT do my treatment....and I think that made a big difference. I  absolutely loved it.  The patients and nurses were very grateful and the other volunteers were so welcoming.  

It is time for me to start giving back...to say thank you for letting me live.

Back to Reality

Over the last couple days I have been wishing I was still here....

...but instead I have been here. Friends, you gotta do it....and mine was clean!  I left the medical center with a heart full of gratitude and a gut full of gas.

Big T knew just what I needed.

Needless to say, I have had a little down time lately, so I finished some Needlepoint North business...

...while I listened to this.   I think it is, well, boring...a lot of minute details without giving the big historical picture.  I guess Larson assumed I paid better attention in my US History class.  But what do I know?  Big T loved it.

Florida Friends, Food and Fun

I just returned home from a week in Seaside. Friends, you know that travel and eating out are difficult for me, but I am determined to keep practicing until I get better at it.  

Here is the Florida restaurant report:

great mojitos, grouper and friend green tomatoes

eat in or carry out

Cafe 30A -- pricey, but delicious

off the beaten path, but worth it

shrimp roll heaven

Bud and Alley's...have fun guessing the time the sun sets.

unique and delicious

We stopped at the bar in The Pearl...

...where I had the best Old Fashioned of my life (made with Traverse City Cherry Bourbon, of course.)

I love chocolate, so...

...can someone get me the recipe for their molten lava cake?

In the middle of our time, we headed over to Jacksonville, where we worked up quite an appetite watching the Midshipmen sink the Irish.

Best seafood of the week was at The Blue Fish in Riverside.

Across the street at Biscotti's, Big T wisely chose the bread pudding. 

Beach walks, sunsets, good friends....definitely worth fighting for.