Good morning!
It was a week partly full of rain (and even a tornado siren on Friday) and partly full of sunny beautiful days. Lots of Critter Cafe patrons. Limpy partridge and friend...
The ants. I finally relented and ordered some store-bought ant poison that said it was for both grease and sugar ants.
I left them both down there for days. Just got rid of the homemade peanut butter and borax one on Sunday. There are barely any ants there anymore. Finally!! I hope I won't see any more very soon.
With all the driving rain the patio door and the screen are really dirty at the bottom, so excuse the pictures...but those sneaky mallards are here quite often--lol! If they see me coming they waddle quickly out on to the grass. I was just as sneaky by taking pictures from the kitchen--lol! 
I can catch more pictures from the kitchen but--yes--need to clean the patio door and screen. With rain every other day it seemed pointless, to be honest. The water drips down from the balcony above me and splatters on my cement patio...which of course has seed on it splashing up everywhere--lol! Such is life. And--no--my cleaning girl from the county also does not clean windows or patio doors...or floors by hand (which are getting pretty sticky). Won't be much longer anyways. My final summer here. :)
Probably why I am grabbing many pictures of my visitors. These are only a few. Another cottontail...
...and a handsome red-winged blackbird. I have loved seeing them around so much this year. I wish the yellow-headed blackbirds had come by, too. They are so very striking!
Allie looking concerned on Friday when I told her I was leaving to get my labwork done.
Dagan and the boys picked me up and waited for me in the car. Didn't take long. It did hurt while she was withdrawing the blood for some reason this time--not so much the putting the needle in. I usually barely bleed but it was dripping out for a little while there so she put the dressing on snuggly. Didn't bleed long but that was curious.
Whenever it wasn't raining people were walking past--with or without dogs--lol!
Two grown cottontails.
Allie has gotten so she's not afraid of the big mallards anymore. (Shows you how often they are here--lol!)
Next time McFamily comes by with the bigger vehicle I have the two small tables and the new pellet litter box all set to go to their house. Allie has zero interest and I am not going to push it on her. We'll see what happens after I move.
Rain and wind and feeding the critters...and seed starts to build up all around the planters.
When we finally get a hose over here from McFamily's to clean them and the patio down I will not put out seed until they are sold...for this very reason. They get messy pretty quickly.
That won't be till next weekend probably at the earliest. This weekend Dagan and Leah are working on the basement to get the last of the framing they have to finish up, insulation in the ceiling & inside walls, and get it completely emptied out before the drywallers arrive on Tuesday. Whoohoo!! I should have some "in progress" pictures next week.
Probably why I am grabbing many pictures of my visitors. These are only a few. Another cottontail...
Keanna comes on Tuesday. I have my CTscans on Friday.
Montessori school was done for the year on Thursday. Dagan will be working from home this summer while the boys are out of school for the summer. I suggested that maybe he and the boys could run over on his lunch break and pick me up so I could come and spend the afternoon with the boys. Dagan said that would be great. In fact, he has to go to get blood drawn this week anyways (on blood thinners)--so he could leave the boys with me and do that and pick up his meds. Sure! He thought probably Thursday.
I was thinking about it and told him we could try it and see how I fare. If all goes well maybe I could even come every week or twice a week for the afternoons? We shall see how it goes. :)
Ian heard that and was excited for me to come over so we can continue to work on my Minecraft house we had started. I might want to make it into a farm, too--lol!
I've been feeling better this year. Have gone from only being able to sit at the table for 10-15 minutes in January to being able to sit here for 2-4 hours now. Slowly building some strength back.
Since I also sleep in my chair--I was technically bedridden for two years. Was hardly out of my chair--no lie. For a long time just making it to the bathroom and back felt overwhelming. Leah totally cooked for me--I just had to nuke something quickly and needed to sit down several times to accomplish that. A shower did me in for the day. I am so happy and grateful to be doing so much better.
Took a year for me to feel like I was making progress after getting off treatments. My main focus was to do the Purging&Packing--10-15 minutes at a time...for like a year and a half! Whoohoo!! (Given enough time a stubborn Swede can get quite a bit done in baby steps--lol!) I can't even express how much joy there is in making progress back to my old fibro/arthritic self-- ROFL!! In so many small ways...but they were HUGE hurdles for the longest time. Life is so good.
In fact, it just really hit me that it has been three years!! Three years since I was diagnosed. June of 2021. First six months I had bladder surgery and attempted chemo for liver tumors--had terrible reaction. Then a year on Keytruda immunotherapy till the side-effects the last six months made it impossible for me to even make it in for treatments anymore. Switched to Sandford Health system in January of 2023...found out cancer free! Long recovery with a lot of side effects (still dealing with several), but finally felt a positive jump in progress this last November. How lucky am I? I have days where it suddenly hits me again (.6 % chance of being cancer free) and my eyes well up. How blessed am I?
Six months have gone by and I am doing all the double-checking tests again. I expect good results. :)
Anyways, let's see...what else?
Oh, I did forget another group of people for the build...the trimmers. They will hang all the doors and do all the trim work.
I am so excited to see the progress. Since the decision was first made...that's been almost 2 years ago! We made the final decision on the day I brought Allie home. Wow! Allie's been here almost two years already?! So she's probably around 10 years old! Goodness.
Well, folks...that about it from here this past week. I hope everyone is safe and well...and, if not that well, then doing better and better. :) I am so grateful for all of you, too. You have all helped me make it through all of these past years. Just knowing you were there to listen and to care. Everyone needs someone to listen and care, you know? I hope you know I am there for you, too.
*love and hugs from Fargo*
17 comments:
I am so glad you are doing so well, Rita. It doesn't seem possible it's been two year since Allie came aboard. And you are continuing to improve, a little at a time, but still going in the right direction! Sending you lots of virtual hugs.
I'm so glad you are feeling better Rita and your new home is making progress... All good things i like to hear. Hugs! deb
So glad to read you are doing better. I bet it was good to do some spring cleaning. Looking forward to seeing the progress on your build.
Since I am relatively knew to your blog I haven't known what you have been through. You do have the best attitude, which may have a lot to do with your recovery. I'm sure you are excited to start the next phase coming after summer.
Good news on the progress that will be happening at your new digs! It rains almost everyday it seems my windows need a wash too! Sure hope you can spend some time with the boys this summer that will be great fun for all of you!
What remarkably positive news. So glad all is going so well in your world and being cancer free is the best news, of course.
So glad you are not forcing Allie to use those pellets.
If you got that pin cushion on Etsy, the materials should have been listed as to what it contained. If not, I would write the seller and ask why the darning needles won't work in the pincushion.
Have a super week, dear Rita and Allie, too.
Hi Rita! It's so wonderful that you are feeling so much better. I can't believe it has been three years. You are a survivor for sure! Sending you virtual hugs on your anniversary. I hope you have a good week. See you again soon.
The ducks look good, I hope the ant bait gets rid of the last of the ants.
Both my sliding doors need a clean and I suspecting will be me trying to clen them, asking either Tim or Tasha will only get me yes mum will do it soon and then they forget. Thankfully I can have pathology come to me to take blood if I need them, doesn't cost anything for them to come here
You have made such incredible progress - - but recovery is indeed long and grueling, with a rollercoaster of physical and mental ups and downs. It's almost impossible to describe. I'm glad you're feeling stronger.
The Critter Cafe is wonderfully busy!
So many blessings! So much progress! I know you're excited 😊 It sounds like y'all are getting close!
So pleased for you that your health is definitely better than it was. It has been a long time but you are determined so that counts for a lot, and I am sure you will feel even better when you get into your new place. Would love to see some photos. Your attitude always makes me feel better. Hope you have a good week.
Rita, add my name to the list of fellow bloggers who “know” the remarkable progress you have made in a few years 😀 You have had more struggles than many of us could know and your unfailing strength and determination to not be undone is something I admire. I am glad to have met you through blogging and also through snail mail.
Good to read that the ant poison may have solved the invasion. You did try to avoid going that route, but sometimes the best tried plans need adjusting. Hopefully, the ants will not be back.
And you know, dear Rita, I looked up where Fargo is.
And I found out... in addition to the location in North Dakota, that the Coen brothers Joel and Ethan made the film "Fargo" in 1996, which won two Oscars.
And right near you in Moorhead is the "Hjemcomst Center" with the Viking ship "Hjemcomst" and a stave church.
I have never seen a city in the US, but I have seen Viking ships in museums and many real stave churches in Norway.
And so that's really interesting to me.
I'm glad you're feeling better and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you accomplish your plans... what drives us? The love for each other and our projects.
A hug for you.
Viola,
I am originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. My son was going to college in Moorhead. He and I went to a movie theater in Fargo to see the movie Fargo when it came out. So funny! In the beginning when the big word Fargo came on the screen the audience cheered--lol!
I moved up here in 1999 to Moorhead, Minnesota to go to college. In the summers I was in a watercolor group that met at Hjemcomst Center once a week, so I have been there many times and have seen the Viking ship and the stunningly beautiful wood carved church!
In 2005 I moved across the Red River to Fargo, North Dakota. Had become gradually disabled and had to quit college. Found a place to live across the river, but I will always be a Minnesotan at heart. ;)
A hug for you, too.
Lots to love here but mostly I'm just so glad you are feeling so much better. That's a huge improvement -- well done, my friend! And exciting about the progress on the apartment. I love that you'll be able to spend more time with the grands soon, too. All is looking very good! Big smiles.
Hi Rita - gosh you've been busy ...and it's good you're sorting things out for yourself - with some guidance and help from Dagan and Leah. The critters bring you lots of engagement ... fun to see - while Allie looks remarkably contented. That pin-cushion is a sweet to see ... and almost does its job - I'm sure you'll adapt to it. Cheers and here's to your week ahead continuing on with all things. Hilary
As you can probably guess I'm reading back through your posts, and commenting when anything specially strikes me. Of course the big thing to comment about in this post is that you're feeling so much better! You have had three tough years, and your gentle endurance has been inspiring but I am sooooo glad to read your optimism and looking forward! I already learned from more recent posts that your scans were fine. So that's all so good. You'll be an expert on Minecraft soon, I guess.. when my older grandsons were into that I never quite got the hang of it myself, but they had such a lot of fun with it.
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