First, the good news: Chuck is doing very well with his liver transplant. April 29 will mark the one year anniversary of his transplant at the Mayo Clinic. He's showing no signs of rejection, is off 80% of his medications, and his follow up tests and visits show him to be a super star. He's back to photographing birds every morning with my son, even in minus 5 degree weather, so that pretty much says it all. My avatar pics are of his birds.
Now for the bad news: I've mentioned before having a surface melanoma on my arm removed in October of 2021. An "in situ" mole of no consequence where all the melanoma 'was removed successfully'. This was a result of having a dozen beauty marks on both arms blow up like balloons after the 2nd Covid shot, grow scabs on them, and when the scab fell off, the beauty mark disappeared entirely. Except for the one. And all of it was not successfully removed after all, as a few cells must've escaped into my body and caused metastatic stage 4 cancer in my lymph nodes, liver, and bones. I went to the ER 3 weeks ago for excruciating pain in my left side where a CT scan with contrast was ordered. The cancer was discovered at that time, and I've spent the last 2 weeks in testing. The cancer is not in my brain, thank God.
The Oncologist told me there is immunotherapy available now for malignant melanoma. 2 types at once, administered via IV (no port) every 3 weeks x4. That's the goal. To turn on my immune system to kill off this cancer. 50% of immunotherapy patients are alive 2 years later. Idk what the percentage is at the 5 year mark. I've avoided doing research bc I'm overwhelmed enough already.
I'm having tremendous pain in my spine, ribs and liver, where the cancer is the worst. The Oncologist gave me some heavy duty pain meds and told me to wait it out until the IV starts kicking in to relieve my pain. He said I would live less than 2 months without treatment so my first treatment is tomorrow morning. The side effects can be gnarly and these infusions WILL kick my butt, he said. I'm ready, I think. Ain't no beauty mark gonna take ME down at 65! 😑
I'm useless at home, so Chuck is doing everything. Laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, driving to appointments. I have a housekeeper coming in to do the heavy cleaning and my stepson and his wife are cooking 7 dinners for us and bringing them by on Saturday. I have to make sure HE'S not overworked during this treatment process to where he gets sick. He's already overcome with worry and shock over all this as it is. I'll ask my stepson to repeat that meal making plan, too...they want to help & we need help.
We've had a lot to deal with the past year, and now my issues, which were there all along, just not apparent until recently. We wouldn't have been able to handle TWO of us sick at once anyway, so this is how it had to play out, I suppose.
The one bright spot I hold onto here is the dime I found on the floor of the ER room I'd been in ALL DAY where there was no dime on the floor. And when the gal was wheeling me back into the room from the CT scan, there it was. I kicked it across the floor to Chuck and he said, "what's that?" I said, "it's a dime from dad, telling me everything will be alright." He was speechless. Dad used to send me dimes all the time after he died in 2015, but stopped the past few years. I have a whole piggy bank full of them.
We can use all the prayers we can get right now, friends. I believe in prayers, in miracles and in signs from our deceased loved ones that they are with us in tough times. If you do too, please send up some prayers for Chuck and I right now.
Many thanks.
A friend of my Moms gave her an old strawberry bowl with 5 dishes. I now have it. I was at a fleamarket our Library had and on a table was a dish that matched the set. I knew the woman and said "I have this set at home and missing a dish and I think it matches" The woman was sceptical but I bought it for probably a $1. Got home and not just matched but really matched. It seems that on 3 of the dishes there is an xtra rose bud. Before I bought this one, I only had two with the xtra rose bud. This one had the xtra rose bud. Since this was a local flea market, I always wondered if Moms friend had given someone something in one of those dishes and never returned it. She had passed, in her 90s, by the time I found the 6th one so couldn't ask her. At this particular fleamarket I found a number of good buys. Lenox especially.
I tried to go to a new thrift shop today, but they were closed. Not that I need anything, but I love to look. Just never know.
I have never been in a pawnshop. I have seen that television show. Those reality shows are staged. I don’t watch reality tv. I know that people find deals in pawn shops as well.
Hope that you continue to find lots of good stuff, Lea!
I think there was a tv show on that too. I don’t remember the names of the series.
I have watched a few shows where the two guys drive to different locations to pick up stuff from people’s homes. I think they resold the items in a store that they owned. Can’t recall the name of the show.
I wonder how many people place items in storage and don’t go back to retrieve them.
Nhwm, I don't go to pawn shops either although I did find my identical wedding ring set in one when I needed to replace it. I watch mostly reality tv shows myself, like Bargain Block, Unsellable Homes and Golden Bachelor. I loved him till he pissed me off by telling Faith he loved her, then eliminating her 😡. And the "guilty pleasures" mindless shows like 90 Day Fiance and Love After/During Lockup series 😂🤣 After This Is Us ended, I reverted to reality tv only. I do miss TIU.
My youngest daughter likes to unwind with reality tv shows too. She watches quite a few of them.
I catch up on some of the ongoings from her. She is constantly telling me that I am out of the loop! 🤣
Do you go to garage sales? Once in awhile I do. When I was young and single I went out of necessity! I wasn’t swimming in money!
I found great deals. Of course, my apartment was very eclectic! Nothing matched but I tried to coordinate as best I could.
You know how garage sales can be though, people got rid of incomplete sets of cups and saucers, plates, glasses and so on. I think the most I paid for a coffee mug back then was 5cents! Plates that I bought were no more than a dime. 50 cents for a pair of jeans.
One time I went to a garage sale and a man was selling a good bit of furniture. He said that he had just placed his mom in an assisted living facility and that she couldn’t take a house full of furniture with her. He had some pretty pieces. I bought an end table and a coffee table.
Did your mom collect depression glass from the movie theater? My mom did. My grandmother would pay adult ticket prices for my mom, aunt and uncle so they could get more pieces.
Sadly, mom lost her home and everything in it in hurricane Katrina. She had some really pretty things that she received as wedding gifts and other nice things too.
Mom had nine feet of water in her home. We weren’t able to save anything after being in that muck for weeks on end.
She did give me the dark red depression glass pitcher years before hurricane Katrina.
It is interesting to see what people collect. People take pride in their collections and have their items stored or displayed properly. It’s quite different from hoarders where everything is a disaster.
That’s very cool! Deal after deal after deal! It is awesome to find great deals, whether you are keeping it for yourself or selling it to make a profit.
One time I was browsing in an antique shop and I saw a toy metal cash register just like the one I had as a child. I loved that thing and played with it all the time. They were selling it for $75. I don’t know what my parents paid for it but I am sure it probably wasn’t too much money.
Antique toys are fun to look at.
I had tons of dolls, Chatty Cathy, and many others. I had one that was life size to me. It was three feet tall.
But I played with all kinds of different toys. We had fun toys. The toy industry has evolved and is so different today.
The dolls I sold were infant newborn baby dolls (I forgot who made them) that look just like real babies. They sell new for $150 or more each.
What about auctions? Do you do those too?
I love hearing about all of your bargains.
My girls had American Dolls and Madame Alexander dolls. The beanie babies were very popular too. They had some of those as well.
I think there was a Shirley Temple doll a long time ago. I had Betsy Wetsy. I loved my doll that when I pulled the string she would either talk or giggle.
My youngest daughter thinks certain dolls are creepy. They do make horror movies about dolls.
Back in the 90s, I could get great bargains on ebay auctions so I collected snuff boxes. Those days are gone now.
Did you buy any carnival glass? It’s so pretty. My mother had a few pieces.
Carnival glass...Mom had a few pieces because they were given as prizes at our local Amusement park.
What a satisfying experience to know that you made a good investment.
It’s really fun since you weren’t sure of the value and then you found out how rare those pieces were!
People have absolutely no idea what they are selling. If they knew the value they wouldn’t let it go for a small price.
What do you feel is the best way to follow what is trending?
It’s interesting how certain things become very popular for collectors and other once popular items fall by the wayside.
So true about the color of an item too. Certain colors of particular items can pull in a significantly higher price.
Would you ever want to own your own boutique or antique shop? I think it would be fun but also more expensive than selling online. The overhead of leasing or buying a building is expensive.
I have always found real estate investments fascinating. You will either make tons of money or potentially lose money. The real estate market goes up and down too.
Neighborhoods change. It can be hard to predict how things will work out in the long run.
As far as real estate goes, buy the LOT not the house. You can always change a house, but you can never change a lot. That advice will guarantee you make $$$$$ in real estate. Everybody wants a nice lot with a view or a water feature to look at, or open space instead of other homes.
I agree with you and I would do the same. Some people purchase pieces that isn’t necessarily their taste. They buy only pieces that they feel will increase in value. I wouldn’t want to own something that I didn’t love. I suppose it is okay if you are only interested in the resale value.
Maintaining property is expensive! Purchasing land doesn’t require any work and can be extremely profitable.
My brother who previously lived in New York after graduating college and then moved to D.C. is an investment banker. He has done very well with his investments in property.
You either make a lot of money or you risk losing money. My brother bought properties in New York that have since skyrocketed in value. Also certain areas that he bought in D.C. as well has gone up significantly.
He’s single, never married, makes a good living and can afford to invest. It’s harder for people to invest when they have a family to support.
Yesterday and today I'm doing nothing.....lol. Just crashing on my chair with Honey on my lap. My body is sore and I'm tired, but happy-tired and sore. I'm able to do laundry and help clean up the dinner dishes too.
What is everyone doing for Thanksgiving? We're going to my stepsons house next Saturday to celebrate, and both my kids are coming too, with wife and grandson, but DDs fiance is working. I'm looking forward to a nice day. Hope you are too!
So happy to hear that you’re getting out. I have to ask, is your daughter as good of a shopper as you are? Did y’all find anything at the consignment shop?
When my daughters started spending their own money, they quickly realized that they had to budget! Actually, my oldest daughter always budgeted well, even with with her childhood allowance. She saved up for special things that she really wanted.
My youngest one, our little diva struggled to learn how to save. She spent her allowance as soon as she got it! Eventually she grasped the value of a dollar. I would have never thought during her younger years that she would become a business major in college.
We are having a quiet thanksgiving at home with just our immediate family.
Enjoy your thanksgiving dinner with your family!
Give Honey a hug for me! She sounds like she’s such a sweetheart.
I have actually rented a oceanfront condo at Holden beach here in NC for the week of Thanksgiving just for myself for a much needed retreat and reset.
Both my children had other plans for Thanksgiving and I went to a Friendsgiving last night, so I already got my turkey, ham and the fixings fix for the year, so I thought it a perfect time to just get alone with God and see what He may have in store for me next. I'm definitely looking forward to just getting away and having quiet time with Him.
I leave tomorrow and come back the following Monday, so I won't be checking in here until I get back.
I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving in whatever way you choose to celebrate it, and that if nothing else you will take the time to remember all the many things you have to be thankful for.
God bless you all.