Memorial Weekend 2017

We headed up North a week ago....15 hours with these two...we all could not wait to arrive and start celebrating Memorial Weekend.

Our first big family event of the summer is always the Bayshore Race along beautiful Traverse Bay.

This race is so fun with Sisters 1, 4 and 5...three of my greatest cheerleaders.

Big T did the half....with T, B, and C

The rest of us did the 10K (some ran, some walked, one hiked with a heavy backpack).

The weather cooperated for some post-race beach recovery.

Even P, from NYC, loved Lake Michigan!

Who knew some of us were so competitive?

After a delicious family feast, my sisters surprised me with a birthday cake.  Do all cancer survivors cry on their birthday?  Friends, I just have such an overwhelming feeling of gratitude to be able to turn one year older....

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

Happy Memorial Day from Northern Michigan! After a wonderful weekend of family fun (which I will tell you about in my next post), I find myself alone on the peninsula.  Friends, this is my first summer up north without B.  Change is always hard for me, and this new chapter has been particularly rough.  I know I should take stock in my many blessings....but tonight I am just missing my baby girl....

The Quarterly Blood Draw

I was recently  chatting with one of my neighbors who is just finishing her last of many rounds of chemo for liver cancer.  She asked me about survivorship; saying she knew I would understand.  She asked me if she will ever stop being afraid of it coming back.

I had her on my mind this morning as I went for my blood draw.   I entered the infusion clinic chanting in my head "Please God, make my blood normal"....and left there breathing "Thank You, God, for letting me survive to get this blood draw today".

Anne with an E

B is home after surviving sophomore year....which means it is time to relax and catch up on Netflix for awhile.

This was the first series she watched.....soooo good....the scenery, the characters.... everything is   just as I had imagined it when I was a girl.

Growing up, I would lose myself in this series for hours...days....weeks....I wanted to live on Prince Edward Island at Green Gables, and  BE Anne Shirley.  She was the quintessential heroine...she still is.

Commencement 2017

   Four years ago, both of my boys graduated, on the same day, and I  missed a lot of it because I was in the middle of treatment.  This weekend, both of my boys graduated again, and this time, I was there.   Thank God for my sons, for their education, and for battles won.

We landed in Nashville on Thursday morning.  Our first stop was  Tootsie's for some great music and a few cocktails...

...followed by some unexpected awards for T.  (He would have put on a tie if he had realized he was actually winning stuff.)

Then on to Husk for a celebratory meal.  Excellent service....awesome menu...delicious food (get the chicken)...

...beautiful venue!

Friday morning T became an MD.  

After Vanderbilt's traditional strawberries and champagne, we headed to Edley's for some  of Nashville's finest BBQ, before heading to the airport.  We had a plane to catch...

for M's graduation on Saturday morning.  I think he actually looks like an economist.  Don't you?

We all celebrated at M's house with some Kansas BBQ.  (If you ever find yourself in Atchison, Kansas, check out Chuck and Hanks BBQ.  You won't be disappointed.)   M was really happy to have his Godmother (Sister #1) and his Grandmom there supporting him!

 Next stop was the River Club for more celebrating...more food...more toasts...more family togetherness....

Sunday was a beautiful Mother's Day....but more importantly, it was S's birthday.  I was so excited to be able to celebrate with my darling daughter-in-law. 

On Monday we squeezed in one more gastronomic  experience before saying good bye to T, S and C, and starting our new diet.  BRGR...best burger in KC....pretty darn good milkshakes too.

Friends, my cup runneth over....

Fuel for Finals

Big T and I had fun this weekend sampling wine while supporting the Nelson on Friday...

...and  sporting some derby duds while cheering on  Irish War Cry on Saturday.

But, the best part of my weekend was delivering some brain food to some of my favorite students on Sunday.

Friends, when M sent me this text, I headed to the kitchen.

This is a lot like lasagna, but a little bit easier because 

you make it with different noodles.

Here are the layers (cut each in half to end up with two layers of each):

1.  12 oz of medium size noodles--cooked and drained 

2.  1 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup sour cream, 1 package softened cream cheese, combined and seasoned to taste

3.  1 and 1/2 pounds ground beef, sautéed in 3 T butter, stir in 2 (8 oz) jars of Prego

4.  Shredded Mozzarella cheese (16 oz)

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes

I am hoping it helps them stay fueled and focused for their last set of finals!

Pray Before You Play

On May Day this week Big T and I were back at C and B's high school for the dedication and blessing of their outdoor grotto, which is a part of their new turf field and track complex.  The headmistress, in her wonderful welcoming speech, said, "We need to pray before we play."

That idea has really stuck with me this week, as I tried to remember to pray before I....spoke to C about her potential move across the country, or even before I merged onto the highway on my way to my favorite antique shop out in the country.  We all know about the sports team that yells "Our Lady of Victory, Pray for us" before they break from the huddle.  But most of us don't know about the renowned surgeon at Johns Hopkins that prayed over my best friend's breast tissue before he sent it to pathology.  Prayer is for the big things and the little things, and can be  a group cheer or a silent plea.  I think God is happy to hear them all.

Play Group: The Next Generation

Friends, one of my very dearest friends (and fellow survivor) came into town this weekend.

The old playgroup gang, aka "the porch ladies" were getting together.  We had something big to celebrate.

We were all neighbors, and each other's life lines, when our kids were born...and now one of us is becoming a grandmother.

It doesn't take much for us to throw on our pearls and crack open the chardonnay, but is there a better reason than one of our babies having a baby?

Look at these darling centerpieces....

We did the popular "please bring a book instead of a card" request....this children's bookshelf from 

Pottery Barn Kids worked perfectly.

We were thrilled to honor our first new mom, and our first grandmom, in such a fun way.