Blogger's Quilt Festival - A Quilt Story

My apologies to those of you who have heard allllll about this quilt already and to those of you who aren't all that interested in quilts. You might want to stop reading here.

On the other hand, welcome to those of you who have come here as part of the Blogger's Quilt Festival hosted by Amy Ellis. I hope you like this quilt story. You probably haven't been here before. I should tell you that as much as I wish this were a quilting blog, it's not. Not yet, at least. So far it's been an icky breast cancer experience blog with a little bit of quilting recently thrown in.

Anyway, about this quilt. My Mom and I made it as a wedding gift for my nephew Josh and his bride Noelene. They were married last month and I was doing the last bit of stitching the morning before the wedding.

Click on any photo if you wish to see a larger image.

The quilt was made using the Geese in the Park pattern that can be found at the Moda Bake Shop where it was made using Kate Spain's Central Park fabrics. The back is something Mom and I put together on our own. For the quilt we used a mix of fabrics from various designers that I had recently acquired and that, to my mind, serendipitously look quite lovely together. We added some additional Art Gallery fabric yardage for the back and the binding. I really like the bright pink binding.

The bride and groom are both pilots and live in Canada so ... "flying geese" seemed like an especially appropriate design element. To further personalize the quilt, I added some camouflaged appliques on the back of the quilt.

The elephant represents South Africa where Noelene is from and where her parents live.

There are two airplanes, one for each. The rabbit is because they were married in the year of the rabbit. My husband claims that he STILL can't find the rabbit. Can you? Can you see the mostly orange airplane in this photo and the turquoise one in the photo below? I imagine that someday small children will enjoy looking for these hidden bits.

The polar bear represents both the great Canadian north where Josh and Noelene live and work ... in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories ... and it represents White Bear, Saskatchewan where Josh's parents farm. The farm is 100 years old this year and it was settled by my grandfather.

We added a label made from a handkerchief that has shamrocks embroidered on it. We knew Josh would appreciate a nod to his Irish heritage.

Confessions. I didn't do ANY machine stitching. Mom did all of that. She's a machine stitching genius!

I chose the pattern and fabrics, cut the fabric and stitched the appliques by hand. This is the first quilt I've made in over 20 years and I didn't do any machine work on the previous one either. Mom is an experienced seamstress so that's been her department. This was the first time I really used rotary cutting tools, so everything was a learning experience for me. Good thing the appliques are camouflaged so my shabby work doesn't show up too much. I did get better as I went.

Because time was of the essence, we hired Tara Patterson who lives in Kyle, Saskatchewan, to do long arm quilting. Tara based the quilting pattern on the trees and leaves in the print used on the back of the quilt and she used a variegated thread in mostly a turquoise colour. She put the binding on for us, too. We were very happy with her design decisions and work. Given more time, I think I would like to hand quilt. I'd also like to learn to free motion quilt. I think I'll need a class for that. Before all of that, though, I really MUST start doing my own machine stitching. I seem machine phobic and much more comfortable with hand stitching  (think yoyo's and straight applique).  I'll be getting acquainted with my machine soon ... honest. I have to do something with all the leftover fabric from this quilt.

I probably should have measured the finished quilt. I can say it looks quite nice on a queen sized bed. This is the quilt top before the final border was added.

Most importantly, I think Josh and Noelene like it and they know it was made with love in every stitch.

Note directly from Noelene: "Actually, we don't really like our quilt...we LOVE it! We've been showing it to everyone that comes over. It's very special to be given something that was made just for us and I love the extra layers of meaning in the pattern and appliques."

Thanks for visiting and for reading my quilt story. I'm really a beginner at this but for years I've been dreaming about making quilts ... have studied quilts ... admired quilts ... read about techniques ... and now it's finally time to start making them. I look forward to making more.  I'm very grateful to the online quilting community for all the encouragement, instruction, and inspiration.

Now ... go back to the Blogger's Quilt Festival and check out more quilts!

Blogger's Quilt Festival - A Quilt Story

An Update from Lynn Herself!

Lynn sent her own update via her "awesome assistant", Kathy!
_____________________________


Hi Everyone,

Kathy, my awesome assistant, is typing this for me.

I just wanted to thank all of you for your prayers, thoughts, and good wishes. I'm doing really well and look forward to getting unhooked so I can move around better. I'm not in any pain thanks to the drugs. I hope to get a good sleep tonight. It's bedtime soon and right now I don't have my cell phone but should have it tomorrow. I'm still in observation but hope to get into a regular room by Monday.

Thanks again for thinking of me,

Lynn


Kathy here - Mom's really quite coherent but found it tricky to dictate the email while dozing off mid sentence ;) ...and she told me to write the awesome assistant part!

An Update from Lynn Herself!

Lynn Update via Kathy

Here's what Kathy has reported about Lynn's surgery today ...

Mom is out of surgery. They removed the lump and her appendix as well as doing a complete hysterectomy (uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries). The frozen section of the lump they sent for testing during the surgery was nearly all dead so they weren't able to determine if it was cancer or not so they took some of the surrounding lymph nodes as well so that everything could be tested.

Mom didn't lose too much blood during the surgery so she didn't need a transfusion and the doctor said her recovery is starting off as good as could be hoped for. We are so thankful for this! She should be out of the recovery room in about another hour and a half and we'll be able to see her as soon as they get her to her ward.

Warning: moving into the gritty details.
The lump grew from inside one of Mom's ovaries. The ovary twisted on its stem (pedestal), causing the cut off of blood flow to the tumor, effectively killing at least most of the tissue of the tumor. This is what caused all the pain. The tumor still grew by taking on fluid and becoming inflamed which caused the surrounding tissue to adhere to the tumor. The attachment to the appendix is why the doctors removed it as well. The doctor who did the surgery told us that the outcome was good and that the surgery was as successful as it could be.

Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, and positive energy. We really appreciate it. I'll send out another email when we have more to report.

Peace and hugs to you all and I know that Mom would say a big "Thank you!" as well.

Lynn Update via Kathy

Blogger Has Been Down

I've been trying to post for the past few days but there have been Blogger problems.  It looks like the issues have finally been resolved and so hopefully I can provide an update on Lynn's surgery tonight.  She is either in or just out of surgery right now. 

Blogger Has Been Down

Happy 18th Birthday, Mikael!

Happy 18th Birthday, Mikael!

My Mother's Day Present to Myself

This tote bag arrived today. I love it! I first saw it at the shop at the New York Public Library when were were there in March. It was what I wanted for my New York souvenir but, wouldn't you know it, they were only taking preorders at the time. After we were back from New York, I couldn't stop thinking about it so I went online and found I could order one. Just one catch - shipping and handling to Canada cost almost $30!! Shipping and handling anywhere in the States was under $5.00. So I ordered the tote bag and had it shipped to Luke who sent it back to Saskatoon with Dave, Arden's Dad, who was visiting the boys in Louisville recently. Dave brought it by today! Kevin answered the door while I was upstairs. He quickly wrapped it in some tissue paper and gave it to me for Mother's Day! Works for me! I love it!

Here's a photo of one of the lions at the New York Public Library. He's so stately! There are two such lions who guard the entrance to the library. Their names are Patience and Fortitude and they will be 100 years old this year. What wonderful icons for a library!

Photo credit to Michael Daines.

My Mother's Day Present to Myself

Multiple Celebrations Tonight

Sylvia hosted an event tonight. There was much to celebrate. Because Cheryl's birthday falls during music festival every year, her actual birthday celebration takes place a week later, which also happens to be Mikael's birthday.

Here are the birthday celebrants, Mikael his Mom. Mikael and Cheryl will be going to the provincial music festival in Moose Jaw in a few weeks. Mikael will be competing in voice.

Alexa and her Mom are wearing orchid corsages that Marion so kindy brought for all the Moms and Alexa. Alexa had a very successful music festival this year, too, both competing in voice competitions. Both she and Mikael won scholarship awards.

This is Cheryl with her two Moms, Sylvia and Marion.

We had a delicious meal, much frivolity, and abundant gift opening and it was a special treat to have Uncle Reg with us.

Darrel came into the city today and he, Lynn, Max (their dog), Kevin and I ran some errands, stopped for lunch at Tastebuds on Lorne Avenue, did a little yardwork and then played a few hands of cards. I had a nice talk on the phone with my Mom and I was glad to hear that Gary was taking her out for dinner.

Hannah and Luke both phoned, which makes my heart burst with happiness, of course. Luke went to the Kentucky Derby yesterday and said it was a real blast! When in Kentucky ... We watched on tv but couldn't see him. I probably couldn't see his face for his fancy hat. Ha! He's glad to be done exams and his third year of University. All's good. Tomorrow he flies to Victoria to try out for a Junior A box lacrosse team. It's his last year of eligibility to play Junior A so it's now or never. He'd regret it if he didn't give it a shot. Hannah was having a nice day with Matt and she'll work tonight at Aphrodite's (the organic restaurant she works at). She's been working a lot. She and Matt are hoping to sock away enough money to go to Uruguay in the fall. I thanked my kids for making me such a lucky Mom.

Kevin took me to Calories for dinner on Friday for Mother's Day and he made me breakfast this morning. I'm pretty spoiled.

And now I'm spent. It was a very nice Mother's Day.

Multiple Celebrations Tonight

Dusting Off This Quilt Project

I've been getting a bit ahead of myself. It's so easy to get caught up in a new thing - a new idea. I love dreaming up projects, which doesn't mean I've fallen out of love with previous project ideas.

So before I cut into these luscious new fabrics I've got, I must first finish the vintage handkerchief quilt I was working on last year. So, this past week, I finished appliqueing on another square. You might notice the coloured basting stitches around the perimeter of the inside of the hankie. Those will come out after I have all the hankies appliqued.

I still love this project and I look forward to seeing the finished quilt.

Here are the squares laid out in a possible arrangement. I would welcome any suggestions for a border ... or no border. Should I lay them out like this or should I put sashing between? What should I use for a backing fabric? Decisions. Decisions. I'll hand quilt this one. Vintage handkerchiefs demand it, I think.

Dusting Off This Quilt Project

Happy Mother's Day, Moms!

Happy Mother's Day, Moms!

Lynn: The Inside Scoop

My sister-in-law, Lynn, has been going through a bit of an ordeal lately. I'm reporting here because Lynn asked me to. She knows people are concerned and it's so easy for stories to get muddled, so here's the scoop, straight from the source.

Last Tuesday Lynn had some stomach pains. She took some Tylenol and didn't worry too much about it.

Last Thursday the pain got worse and Tylenol was no longer working. Lynn and Darrel were in Kyle for a funeral and by the time it ended Lynn was in a great deal of pain. Darrel took her to Rosetown where the Doctor said her uterus was enlarged and he sent her in to Emergency at the University Hospital. There she had some tests and was given morphine to get the pain under control. The Doctors found a "mass" in or around her uterus. It's about the size of a grapefruit or a softball! EEEK!!

Lynn was admitted last Thursday to the hospital and she finally got out this afternoon. The pain is under control and she's not even taking Tylenol right now. She is experiencing discomfort, though, probably because the "mass" is pushing on various organs.

So here's what's happening now. She scheduled for surgery next Friday, May 13. While it's disappointing that Lynn will have to wait that long for surgery, there are some good reasons for it as the doctors explained. The doctors said they could do emergency surgery immediately but they felt it would be better to wait until they can be sure all the various people they would like to have on their surgical team are available at the same time. That means scheduling operating room time and coordinating that with the availability of a gynecological surgeon, a cancer surgeon, and a pathologist (forgive me if they have different titles - I'm sure you get the idea). The doctors can't tell what the "mass" is right now. They won't really know until they get in there and because they want to be prepared for the worst possible scenario ... just in case ... they want to have all these specialists in place so that whatever needs to be done can be done at once. That said, there is a reasonable possibility that the mass is a benign thing and that once it's removed, all will be fine. It's very good, though, that the doctors will be prepared for the possibility of finding cancer when they get in there. Please, please, PLEASE don't be cancer! Often they are benign so we'll just keep that thought in mind.

So, as things stand now, we won't know what that "mass" is until after the surgery. I know what this waiting game is like and how the imagination can go wild, which is VERY draining. We're just going to try hard NOT to think of worst case scenarios and focus on hoping that this mass is benign.

Everybody please say a little prayer for Lynn! And cross fingers and toes and whatever else you can manage!

Lynn: The Inside Scoop

New Fabric! I'm In My Happy Place!

What arrived in the mail yesterday is the purple "sleeping beauty" fabric from the Far Far Away II line by designer, Heather Ross. I've been longing for some Heather Ross fabric for a long time and by now it's pretty hard to come by. I finally bit the bullet and ordered some pieces and this is the only one that's come so far. It's so pretty! It has such a nice feel to it, too. It's a little heavier than the usual quilting cottons and is a cotton/linen blend, which also gives the colours a rich, earthy tone to them.

So, as soon as I got it, I started pulling other fabrics from my stash to see what might coordinate with it. Lots of things work with it!

Now ... confession of my rash stupidity. On Friday ... feeling tired and blue and disappointed that my new fabric was taking so long to arrive ... I stopped by Periwinkle (the quilting store in Grosvenor). Just to look, mind you. Maybe pick up a fat quarter to treat myself. Recently I've been captivated orange and pink together and there were so many lovely options there that I ended up buying more fabric than I intended. Oops. And then I felt a little stupid because I should have waited until my new fabric came in the mail so I could properly choose coordinating pieces. Stupid as I was, I don't think I could have chosen any better if I'd had the sleeping beauty fabric with me! Every single piece (all those little fat quarters with the white paper bands around them) that I bought matches beautifully! Sweet serendipity!

I can't wait until the other Heather Ross fabrics arrive! I want to make a large quilt and then some smaller baby and kids quilts. Or a lap quilt. I LOVE this fabric!

New Fabric! I'm In My Happy Place!

Happy Birthday, Cheryl!

Happy Birthday, Cheryl!

Kathy and Ricardo

It seems that visitors to our house have to have their photo taken with 3D glasses on. I think they look so funny!

Kathy and Ricardo came for fish tacos on Thursday ... the night before Ricardo had to fly back to Costa Rica. Ricardo made a Costa Rican dish for us. I can't remember what it was called but it's their version of french fries but using very green plantains instead of potatoes. The process was so interesting! I wish I'd thought to take some photos but we were all so busy doing kitchen things ... slicing and dicing and making a VAT of guacamole ... that I totally forgot to take pictures. If anyone wants to know what to get Kathy for Christmas, she was quite gaga over my "slap-chop". Mine's not a slap chop, per se. Mine is the one from The Pampered Chef and I love it. I've had it for several years and it's still going strong. Kathy shares my sensitivity to onions for which the slap chop is very handy.

Kathy just completed her Education degree. Another graduate in the family! She's going to spend her summer working on the ship (Royal Carribean - the one that sails out of New Jersey) and see if she can line up a teaching job here or near here for next fall. She'll be a GREAT teacher! Ricardo plans on visiting here again in the fall. I'm looking forward to some time in the kitchen with Ricardo. I would love to learn some more about Costa Rican cooking.

Kathy and Ricardo

Berry Flax Bran Muffins Recipe

I got a new cookbook a while ago: Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming. And since I'd found quinoa flour at HomeSense I made Berry Flax Bran Muffins from this cookbook.

I'm very happy with them. They're healthy - full of good things - and they're not very sweet, which is my personal preference. It's not that I don't have a sweet tooth but I don't like my sweet things TOO sweet, that's all. These muffins are less like cake and more like something that feels right for breakfast or a healthy snack. They're quite moist after being in an airtight container for most of the day. A bonus was that I was able to use raspberries right from Mom's backyard. Thanks, Mom. I like knowing where my food came from and how it's been treated.

Kevin likes to take a muffin to work every morning. These will be good for him. I'll make these muffins again. And again. With various other fruits.

Raspberry Flax Bran Muffins

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/4 cup fancy molasses

2 large eggs, beaten

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup ground flax (I grind my own)

1 and 1/4 cup wheat bran

1/2 cup quinoa flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup frozen raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners (I had enough dough for a whole tray of mini muffins, too.)

2. Blend sugar and oil in a large bowl until smooth. Add molasses and beaten eggs and mix thoroughly. Stir in buttermilk, then the flax and bran. Set the mixture aside.

3. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt and soda in a medium bowl. Gently toss the berries in the dry mixture.

4. Fold the dry mixture into the wet. Combine but don't overmix.

5. Fill muffin liners about 3/4 full.

7. Bake on the centre rack for 16-20 minutes (mine took exactly 16 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

8. Cool for a few minutes before removing from pans and then cool completely on a rack.

These will keep for a week in the fridge or for a month in the freezer. I can assure you that they won't last long in our freezer.

Berry Flax Bran Muffins Recipe

Where Do You Get Your Groceries?

I wanted to do some baking today and needed a few ingredients. We stopped at Sobey's, which is where we usually go. I would like to do most of my shopping at the Co-op but because we're still involved in fundraising for the Scorpion's lacrosse team, we shop at Sobey's to support the team. Not that the Co-op likely has the ingredients I'm often looking for, so I guess that's just a little aside ... an explanation as to why we shop at Sobey's.

So ... we're at Sobey's and I'm a little disappointed (but not surprised) that I can't find some of the ingredients I'd like to try using so I get the usual type baking stuff. Boring.

After Sobey's we went to Petland so Kevin could pick up some aquarium things. And because I don't need to see the inside of yet another aquarium store, I went next door to HomeSense (the home store affiliated with Winners). And just look at the goodies I found THERE! I got two different kind of organic quinoa, dutch pressed dark cocoa, solid dark baking chocolate, extra dark chocolate chips, Himalayan and Atlantic sea salts (I already have French Grey from a previous trip), Organic and gluten-free chocolate cake mix (NO additives), coconut flour (I recently bought organic whole wheat and quinoa flours there, too), and organic brownie and dark chocolate cookie mixes. I usually get my chia seeds at HomeSense, as well as candied ginger, balsamics, vanilla paste, various flavours of oils including coconut oil, hemp seeds, some pastas, seasonings, jams and jellies, marinades and sauces. And more. There's a lot more there ... including coffees and teas ... if you're so inclined.

I know I can get some of the ingredients I want at Dad's on 8th Street, but I'm still pretty impressed with the selection that often can be found at HomeSense and I think they must have just received a new shipment because the shelves seemed especially abundant. I want to make a dark chocolate brownie recipe that includes lime zest and sea salt. 

And then Kevin and I made some very good sandwiches and followed the live stats for Luke's last lacrosse game for the season. It turned out to be another disappointing loss. Luke got a goal, but I think he's eager to put the season behind him and hope for a better season next year. Next week he writes exams, then there's the Kentucky Derby next weekend ... I don't think he plans to attend ... and he flies to Victoria on Monday to try out for a Junior A lacrosse team (The Shamrocks) there. I can't believe he'll be done his third year at Bellarmine! WOW!

Where Do You Get Your Groceries?

Blue Heather

This is what I did Friday night. I had pvr'd the royal wedding. Sylvia came over and she, Kevin, and I hunkered down in the family room and watched. Not all of it ... it's very long, isn't it? I still want to watch the parts I've missed.

I wish I'd had the energy to bother with gloves and a hat or even some tea, at least, but we didn't. I really did enjoy watching it and thought it was all very beautiful and exciting. I hope they really do live happily every after.

What I didn't do Friday night was go to my splurge party. That makes 4 in a row that I've missed. Did I even miss that many during chemo? Probably. Still, it doesn't seem right and it makes me feel quite blue. I had fully expected to be good to go and I was excited about it all month and then thought about it all week. Having had a long weekend and having given myself lots of down time, I thought I was on track. On Tuesday in particular I felt as good as I've felt in a long time. I had really good energy and didn't feel any afternoon sluggishness. It was quite remarkable and I thought it was a good indication that I'd be good to go on Friday night. But then I was feeling so good that I did more Tuesday evening than usual and then felt a little wired so I didn't go to bed as early as I should have. To be fair, I probably wouldn't have slept well if I had gone to bed earlier. My energy went swiftly downhill from there. By Friday at lunch I knew I was hooped. I was so tired Friday night. SO tired. And, in addition, during the day a new pain developed. A sharp and steady pain in a spot just under my left breast and over my ribs. It's not quite as bothersome today but it's still very tender. I don't like that. Not one bit. I'm hoping it will turn out to be just one of those mysterious but fleeting pains I get that seem to come out of nowhere and then, just as mysteriously, disappear. Please disappear pain. I haven't got time or energy for you.

Tonight we were invited out but, again, I didn't feel up to going. Kevin went without me. When I feel so bad at the end of the week, I really need my weekend to get myself feeling good by Monday so that I can get through the work week. Mom and Gary are coming in tomorrow because Mom has an appointment on Monday. I'm not very much fun. I poop out really quick. Of course, I get on a roll every now and then but then I pay for it later.

Other things this week have contributed to my blueness. My home communities of Kyle, White Bear, and Lacadena were hurting this past week and my heart and thoughts have been there, especially on Thursday when the communities gathered to remember a young member of the community gone too soon. Very sad.

And then I was disturbed by Ann's most recent post. Ann is from Sacramento, California and blogs about her breast cancer experience at Breast Cancer? But Doctor ... I Hate Pink!  She has quite the sense of humour even during some very dark times. I think she's going through an especially dark time.

I don't feel blue all the time but I feel that way much more than I ever have. It troubles me a bit. It's not typical. I'm not a "blue" type.  I'm not sure why I feel so bummed sometimes. Is it a bit of a post traumatic syndrome? I understand that PTS is quite common after a cancer experience, though often not acknowledged by the medical community who are pretty much done with you after you finish your treatments. I have lingering aches and pains and while those don't interfere with my daily activities, they are nonetheless there ... in the background ... and are more aggravating when I'm tired. And maybe it's because I'm overtired a lot of the time which results in my giving up a lot of my social life. That's good reason to feel bummed. All work and no play ... Well, I can't say NO play but it's sure less than was my custom and when I do have fun it usually costs me. And then there's the Tamoxifen. Depression is one of the side effects listed for Tamoxifen. I wonder how much of my "blueness" is simply caused by the medication? Maybe I'll know in ... say ... FOUR YEARS FROM NOW when I can stop taking it! Maybe.

But I'm alive. I'm alive and, for the most part, doing well. I feel guilty for wanting more and for still hoping for improvements. And I wish I could better master my fear of a recurrence. Every little ache and pain brings new fears. Before having cancer, I was unaccustomed to having aches and pains so I'm easily thrown off.  The greater distance I can put between me and treatment the better, though. I expect that in the fear department, time will be my friend.  Makes sense.

Next splurge is at the end of May. I'm going to be there. Dammit!!

Blue Heather

A New Quilt Project

I have leftover fabric after making Josh and Noelene's quilt, so ...

I've taken out some fabrics and added others to make a new working collection - mostly turquoise with bits of green and pink. You can see the very simple quilt pattern I've chosen in the bottom left corner. Click on the photo to see a larger version.

My dilemma now whether to use the green or pink fabrics in the bottom of the photo between the rectangles in the strips. I thought I'd settled on the green but after looking at the photo ... maybe pink? I can't decide. What I might do if I have enough fabric ... and I think I do ... is make TWO quilts in this same pattern. One with green and one with pink. That solves the problem. I'll probably have to add a few more fabrics to the mix, but I can do that.

I chose a very easy pattern because I need to become better acquainted with my sewing machine. I'm not so sure I can even sew a straight line! It's probably best if I make a quilt where there are not points or corners to be matched. Wish me luck. I'd like to but the fabric tomorrow.

A New Quilt Project

Easter, Vitamin D, and More Wedding Photos

I hope everyone had a super Easter weekend! I stuck very close to home. In fact, I didn't leave the house ... well, except to enjoy some sunshine in the backyard ... until Sunday afternoon when Kevin and I ran out to get a few groceries. I still hadn't unpacked from New York so I got that and many other chores done. Plus I slept. And slept. I needed to do that. We followed Luke's lacrosse game on Saturday. They lost against Denver, a team ranked among the top 5 nationally and the top ranked team in their conference. Luke got a goal. Actually he says he got two but the refs called him "in the crease" for the second one, which Luke disagrees with. Bellarmine has one more game to finish their season and then Luke finishes finals and enjoys some Kentucky Derby fun before he flies to Victoria to try out for a Junior A box lacrosse team in a couple of weeks.

I heard back from my doctor about some test results. He had correctly diagnosed the basal cell carcinoma on my back. But, he assured me, even though it's that awful "C" word, it's not the killing kind. It's gone now and I don't need to worry about it. It's not related to my breast cancer. Good news. All my other test results were normal. Normal is good.

I had my Vitamin D levels tested and I'm at 142 nMol/L and that's with my taking 6,000 international units per day for about a year. I thought it would be higher. The doctor from the Inspire Health Clinic in Vancouver recommended that everyone should aim for a Vitamin D blood level of 125 to 175 nMol/L so I'm going to increase my daily Vitamin D3 intake to 8,000 per day to see if I can raise it a little higher. I want to be at "optimal", not just within the recommended range, which is pretty broad. People metabolize Vitamin D levels at different rates so while someone can test at optimal by taking 2,o00 IU per day, someone else taking much more might have lower levels.

So ... my message to you is "GET YOUR VITAMIN D LEVELS CHECKED"! I'm still not at optimal after taking 6,000 IU per day though I've almost doubled where I was at (72 nMol/L) when I first had my Vitamin D blood levels tested after I finished chemo.

In case you're not aware, there is much recent research into Vitamin D and low levels in people have been linked to various cancers (including breast cancer), multiple sclerosis, autoimmune disorders, and more. It's certainly worth asking your doctor about and asking to have your Vitamin D levels tested.

I have just a few more wedding photos to share.

Here are Kevin and Kevin. Kevin Kaschl was helping John with the DJing for the dance. He and John wear matching splashy shirts when they DJ. They must have done a great DJing job because the dance floor was always busy.

Josh and Noelene had asked Kevin to be their master of ceremonies and he did an awesome job if I do say so myself! He engaged the bride and groom in a fun little game during the dance where he would ask them questions after which they would have to hold up the appropriate shoe to indicate "Josh" or "Noelene" in response. He asked them questions such as "Who is the better pilot?" and "Who was the first to say 'I love you'?". It was very cute.

Speaking of cute, this is a photo of Noelene's sister, Stephanie and her son, Tai-hei (I'm not entirely sure I've spelled it correctly), who live in Japan. I think everyone was completely charmed by Tai-he and he made everyone there want to have a baby! He is SOME CUTE!!

Easter, Vitamin D, and More Wedding Photos

Back To A Happy Place

Messed up house or wedding photos? Easy choice!

The flowers at Josh and Noelene's wedding were gorgeous and abundant! Each table ... every surface! ... had a beautiful floral arrangement on it.

Noelene's bouqet was so pretty. The flowers were all done by The Nosegay. Thanks, Josh and Noelene for giving Nosegay your business and thanks, Nosegay, for such beautiful work.

In the photo with the purple tulips you can see the edge of a pretty beaded candle holder. These, in various colours, were strewn about the room in abundance ... on tables and on the sills of the tall narrow windows around the room! They were so pretty and effective. They really sparkled and looked very special. Noelene's parents had them sent from South Africa where they're made in what sounds like a woman's co-operative or a social economy enterprise.

I thought the cake was gorgeous, too! I can't remember who did the cake but it was the same people who have a booth at the Farmer's Market. I can picture it but just can't remember the name - a common situation for me. ARGHH!  I should say, too, that the cake was no just pretty, it was DELICIOUS!  Perhaps the best tasting wedding cake I've ever had. In fact, one of the best cakes period! I had a piece of chocolate and a taste of the Saskatoon berry layer. Mmm ... mmm ... mmmmm.  When I learn the name of the cake makers, I'll post it here.

Lynn, the mother of the groom, was looking especially pretty!  Her dress looked great on her. Here's her corsage. She's standing with one of her nieces from Alberta.

And, of course, Noelene was a bright, shiny, pretty bride. Here she is at the end of the evening just before she and Josh left the hall. She has her bouquet in a vase to extend its life. She has a wrap over shoulders, ready to face the cool of the evening. She must have been so tired. She was probably running on adrenaline by then. 

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