Positive Thoughts Work

I believe good things happen when we talk about the positive in our life.  One positive thing in my life is my husband.  Yesterday after I talked about him in my post, good news arrived for him.  Literally as I pressed publish for the blog, the phone rang.  It was like karma that I had posted the quote..."Trust me."

My husband has always chased my blues away and given me hope.  He always hugs me when I'm down and says, "Trust me."  It is his way of telling me things will get better.  So I sent the quote back to him to cheer him up. It worked, as he had been waiting for test results that were all good.  He was so happy that he came home last evening and winked and smiled at me.  And of course he said, "Trust me." I always do and I feel happy and safe with him.

No family could have been happier last evening than we were.  I had accepted the curve ball and placed my faith in God.  He gave me strength to believe all things positive with love and determination.  Life is like working a jigsaw puzzle. Sometimes it takes patience and time for the pieces to fit.  "Trust Me!"

Life is beautiful!!

Elizabeth

Trust Me

Sometimes in life silence is good.  Life can be full of noise and sometimes it can become irritating, even the clicking of the clock.  I love my quiet moments in the morning when Laney lays in my lap and my mind is clear.  It is one of my favorite times of the day.  It seems as the day goes on the noises in life become more conscious in my mind.  The things we can not control become larger than life and take control of us.  I wish I could keep my peaceful moments all day long.   

Laney seems to love the comfort of resting in my lap.  I wonder sometimes if she rest on my lap for her own comfort, or because she wants to comfort me.  I guess it could be for both reasons.  She has a way of giving me comfort when I feel things are out of my control.  I wish I could give the comfort she has given me, to those I love.  I wish I could take away the heartache that my husband has.  He is the only one who can change his thoughts to bring peace to his own mind.

My dear husband I love you always and forever.  I hope that you can find peace in your own mind.  You have always been a hero to me and helped me look at the bright side of life.  I will always walk beside you hold your hand and hope that you too will see the sunshine.  I will sign off today with your favorite quote to me, "Trust me dear."   I'm sending it right back to you.  XOXO!!!

Life is beautiful!!!

Elizabeth

Les Fleurs

It was a beautiful weekend with temperatures in the high 60's to low 70's and lots of sunshine.  What a great time to be outdoors and distract our minds from the anxieties of life.  Laney, my husband, and I spent time planting lots of flowers and enjoying just being outside.  A nice way to start the kick off to summer.

We do need rain as our yard is already starting to look a little brown.  I am hoping we do not have another drought.  I will certainly keep myself busy watering my flowers.  I love being outside and wish we could have this weather year round.  Laney loves being outdoors sun bathing and watching me play in the dirt.

My husband so loves the outdoors that I could throw him a sleeping bag and he would be quit happy under the stars.  I think I'll stick to the comfort of my air conditioned room and comfy bed.  I can view the stars from the bedroom window.  If I were to bet, Laney would choose the comfort of the bedroom over outside.  Oh, how spoiled we are.  Life is beautiful !!

Les fleurs sont ene des creations beutiful de Dieu.

Elizabeth

Curve Balls

I use to work with a principal when I was teaching that would occasionally come to me with what he called a curve ball.  What he meant was he was changing my schedule to accommodate some unforeseen event that occurred.  I asked  him on one of the occasions why he chose me.  He said he knew from my prior performances at work that I could handle the change and make a smooth transition.  I always told myself keep thinking of the positive and realize that life is not planned, but full of new adventures. I reminded myself to keep smiling and remain calm as panicking would only stress the students and make the day miserable. 

In my moments of solitude I have often wondered how strong I really am.  Little did my students know that sometimes I wondered if I was doing the right thing. I had a stressful day once at school that ended with a group of fifth graders who thanked me for being patient with them. I have held onto that moment when life throws me a curve ball.

Recently God has tested me again with some curve balls. This time it is not with my students, but with my own family and life.  I'll reflect on those prior memories of how keeping positive will help bring peace amongst the loved ones around me.  I have planned some fun things for the Memorial Day weekend.  The distractions will calm our minds and remind us to keep living life to it's fullest.

Laney is by my side and together we will be positive and strong for those we love so dearly.  Loving you my husband always makes the sun shine upon us.

Life is beautiful !!

Elizabeth

Belated Birthday For Laney

I forgot to mention Laney's birthday this month.  I was in Texas at the time, May 7th.  She turned seven years old.  It is ironic that her birthday is in May.  It is the same month that my mother-in-law and my mother passed away from cancer.   I  believe Laney was meant to be here to bring joy to the month of May.  So in honor of Laney I am reposting a blog writing from last years birthday about the color pink. Here it is......

The people who know me well, know that my favorite color is pink. I find it to be calming and pleasing to the eye. It is also a good color for Laney. She has pink sweaters for winter and pink bows for her hair. I wonder if she likes the color pink also. In celebration of her birthday this month,  I think I'll wear pink. She is now seven years old and a wonderful four legged friend. If I could, I would send pink fireworks into the sky to show my love for her. She has been a wonderful addition to my life and a good friend to share my love of pink with. In celebration of my Laney, wear pink. She and I will certainly notice and maybe even comment.  Happy Birthday Laney!!  I love you!!

Life is beautiful with a four legged friend!!!

Elizabeth

Pictures From 10K

Here we are at about 6:45am before the race.  It was very windy and a little cool, but it heated up quickly and was a beautiful day.

This is at the start.  We started a half hour after the runners. We had to go up an incline over the highway. Oh dear, my knees are not what they use to be.

This is the finish line.  It is always a rush of emotion to cross the line.  Another accomplishment with my man.

All things possible with love and determination.

Here we are after the walk. I was still able to smile despite my knee pain.  That is because I am with my hero.  I love you always and forever!!  Life is beautiful !!                  

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband and hero!  Today was a great day to celebrate life as we finished a 10k walk this morning. It was the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon that about 22,000 people attended.  It was a spectacular sight to see all those people take off from the starting gate as they ran up a ramp over the highway. People were running and walking for different charities and their heroes. It was an exciting day as our adrenaline was pumping and we were celebrating another birthday for my husband. 

My best friend for the past 50 years and her husband joined us for this walk.  I felt like a lucky girl as we crossed over the finish line with my husband on one side of me and my best friend on the other.  It was a sunshine moment in life.  We were able to finish the walk just under two hours.  It was great to share the event with friends as we cheered each other on.  Life is beautiful when you are with the ones you love.

As I sit here typing this, the birthday man is sound asleep and my four legged friend, Laney is resting between us. What a glorious day it is.  I am so glad that I trusted myself to place my faith in God and see the beauty of life everyday, even when I felt moments of despair.  Today I was reminded of how special life is.  All things are possible with love and determination.  Happy Birthday to my man. I love you always!!

Life is beautiful!!

Elizabeth

Flowers

I wish these beautiful purple iris would bloom all summer.

 A pot full of impatience that will bloom all summer.

Yes, I love flowers!!





Elizabeth

Walking And Having Fun

Laney seems to be happy these days since we arrived back home.  She has spent the last couple of days right beside me.  She feels the need to sit on me and follow right behind me with every move I make.  She has even lay next to me as I have been exhausted and surprised myself by sleeping quite a lot of hours the last couple nights.  If one could say that they were emotionally exhausted from the last two years,  it would be me.  It is finally starting to sink in for both my husband and I that we finished our journey that we started two and a half years ago.  I can see the excitement in my husband, as he has been happily doing things that he loves. He is still leaving me love notes everyday.  What a lucky girl I am.

I have been out and about enjoying the beautiful spring weather and planting flowers.  All the trees have leafed out now and the purple iris are blooming.  The air has a fragrant odor from all that is blooming and you can smell the fresh cut grass.  Storms came through here last night and has left everything green again.  I hope we have a cooler summer than last year and we can enjoy being outdoors.  My husband so loves being outside and it is hard to keep him inside. 

We are off this weekend to spend time with my best friend.  We will be doing the 10k walk at the Rite Aide Classic.  I recruited my friend and her husband to walk with us.  My husband and I are looking forward to another medal.  The donations for this  marathon/ walk go to numerous charities.  They are expecting 20,000 people.  It is going to be exciting to see all the people as our last walk had only 3000 people.

After this weekend we will be looking for some more marathons to keep us active.  We will start fund raising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as the annual walk for Light The Night will be here in early fall.  That is our biggest local fundraiser every year.  It is one of our favorite things to do.  As always, we encourage everyone to give to their favorite charities. 

Life is beautiful with my husband, children and spoiled dog Laney!!

Elizabeth

Every Day Is Mother's Day

Yesterday was Mother's Day and it marked the third year that I have not been home on the date to see my children.  We were on the road travelling home from Texas and it was a long drive.  My husband did his best to remind me what a great mother I am.  He left a beautiful pink card on my pillow and I awoke to kisses from him and lots of sunshine.  He reminded me of the two great children we have.  I wanted to get home and give them both a hug and kiss.  I am proud that they have taken care of things at home while we have been travelling back and forth across the country for medical care.  It has been a difficult two years for them dealing with all the emotions and stresses that cancer has thrown in our path.  They have been great and I love them with all my heart.  I am proud to be their mother.

We arrived home finally to be greeted by Laney.  She was so excited to see us that she rolled and flipped around on the floor going back and forth between my husband and I. My faithful four legged friend always makes me smile.

My husband and I are so happy to be home, as it was an emotionally draining week.  I felt like rolling on the floor with Laney, but I was a little stiff from two days in the car. I have never been so glad to be home, as it marked the end of the every three month trips across the country.  We are both very tired and the reality that we made it through the last treatment has not quite resonated in our minds.  I reminded him all test results are good and he is a survivor.  He is my hero!

My son left me one of those Hallmark cards for Mother's Day on the kitchen counter.   It was one of those cards that make you smile and cry all at once.  It made me realize that the love between my husband and I has not gone unnoticed, and has been a positive example for my son.  All said and done, everyday is Mother's Day with two great kids and a spoiled dog Laney.

We need to rest now as we are excited to start living life to its fullest.  God bless everyone that has helped us.  May the sun shine on your life and fill you with happiness always.  Life is beautiful !!

Elizabeth

 

A Happy Ending To A Long Journey

I wanted to shout yesterday and maybe even yell at the top of my lungs as my husband and I exited the Md Anderson Cancer Center.  We were so happy that he finished the last maintenance treatment that started two and a half years ago. We have been travelling across the country to Texas every three months for the last two years for him to receive the treatment.  We have now graduated to a six month checkup.  The journey passed so quickly and seems like only a dream now.  

We held hands as we took one last walk across the sky bridge that connects the Md Anderson Center to The Mays Clinic parking garage.  We walked in silence as we were both emotionally drained.  Waiting for test results always brings anxiety, no matter how much we try to divert our mind to other activities.  But, the wait had a happy ending as all the test were good. My hero husband and survivor is still walking with me after 37 years.

My gratitude and thanks to the medical team at Md Anderson for their patience and understanding.  We were two scared buckeyes that are forever grateful that we made the decision to come to the big state of Texas for medical care.  We can rest our heads peacefully now, as we have no regrets.  It was a stressful journey with a happy ending.  So life goes on and if you hear fireworks tonight it is the the two rowdy buckeyes celebrating life.

Life is beautiful especially in Texas !!

PS. Much love to my children and spoiled dog Laney.  You make the sun shine on my life always.

Elizabeth

Blessed Are Those Who Wait

We are sitting at Md Anderson and about to fall asleep.  My husband is struggling to stay awake as we have been here since 8 am. for his first test.  It took an hour an a half to get here in the morning traffic.   They just announced they are running an hour behind in CT.  There are no seats, as the place is packed with people.  It is amazing how many people are having test done.  This is  a very busy place.  There are people who have been waiting for hours due to delays.  I have a feeling we are in for long eve ahead of us.  We will be sleeping well tonight as we are still tired from our  two day road trip. 

Looking at the positive side of this long day, we are grateful to receive care at Md Anderson.  I often think of people who are not able to come here and remind myself of how privileged we are to receive such good care.  God has blessed us in a beautiful way.  

We did have a break between test to view the beautiful flowers that are blooming all around Md Anderson.  Spring has definitely graced this place.  I took pictures to take home with me.

Well it's nap time.  Life is beautiful !!

Elizabeth

A Journey Of Love

It has been a long two days on the road.  We were graced with sunshine and warmer temperatures as we crossed over the Texas state line.  It was  nice to see the sun, as yesterday we spent the majority of the day driving in rain.  Thank goodness we are now resting comfortable at our family's home.  We were greeted by our four legged friends Tango and Jitterbug. They have grown since our last visit.  They have not forgotten me, as they are sitting right next to me.  They are still two curious cats full of energy.  I wish I could borrow some of that energy.

Today as we were driving past the Texas state line I recalled that this was the twelfth trip here in two and a half years. We have logged 36,000 miles on our car and four airplane trips to Texas. God has graced us to make it safely every time. And, many blessings to our Texas family and friends who are here to welcome us each time.  All things are possible with love and determination.

It will be a busy week as we head off tomorrow to Md Anderson Cancer Center, for my husband to have test, doctor's appointments, and treatment.  This will be the last treatment of the journey that started in January of 2011.  We have been blessed with his good response to treatment and we pray that he will continue to be blessed.

 Two years ago the journey's end seemed so far away and yet it has arrived so quickly.  I thank God for every day spent with my hero husband. He is the number one man in my life.  We have made it through some tough times and our faith in God and love for each other has given us strength to never give up.

So what do you get with two buckeyes and a spoiled dog named Laney?  A life with no regrets filled with love and kisses everyday whether the sun shines or not.

Life is beautiful !!

Elizabeth

Bumble Bees

The weather this time of the year is so unpredictable.  The last couple days has been very warm and beautiful and today looks to be a nice sunny day that soon will depart.  Cooler temperatures and rain are on their way.  I have been enjoying being out in the yard working and walking with my husband.  We have enjoyed walking outside rather than the indoor track at the university.  I was dizzy enough from going round and round on the track.  At least now we can walk and enjoy the beauty of  the flowers that are blooming.

Blooming flowers mean bumble bees.  Yes, we definitely have bumble bees.  They have been swarming around outside in my flower bed of flocks.  Laney watched me run from them every time they swooshed around me.  I must have looked silly as I dodged them and even tried to swat them with a broom.  Then my husband was standing on the porch as one big bee landed on his stomach and then flew to his back.  He started swatting his hands and ran towards me trying to escape from the bee.  I started screaming get away from me and together we looked quite comical, as from a distance people probably wonder what was going on.  Laney jumped to her feet looking at us as if we were crazy and started barking.  Oh what fun spring does bring.

I'll take the bumble bees over snow and cold any day.  They make me laugh at myself as I think of how ridiculous we look dodging them.  Well it's time for Laney and I to see what new adventure we can get into today.  Hope where ever you are the beauty of spring has graced you.  Life is beautiful !!

Elizabeth