I AM alive.

Barely, but I am still kicking. I have little energy these days – who would, after surviving six months of chemotherapy only to find that the mothereffing drugs created a scarring in my lungs that I ravaged with 40 years of smoking (that by-the-by did nothing to those… Read full post »

My boyfriend in early high school was a semi-thug; he later became a policeman. Mike loved to humiliate me in front of my friends thinking that was a measure of control; he was nice to me privately. Talk about dichotomies! He lived a half block off the local playground. His hang… Read full post »

Things, as we all get to know growing up, are not what they seem. Growing up in Philadelphia, PA, was weird; probably still is – I’ve been away for 40 years as of my recent birthday. But trust me, adolescence in Philly was always a YIKES! moment.

It was not all… Read full post »

Friends

OK. I love sarcasm, wit, and cleverness. I hate snarkiness. Yes, I am an admitted hater — of nasty, cruel, and self-promoting quips hurled at unsuspecting persons. I see snarkiness as a form of bullying. Snark as the sound of the snot of a 12-yr old boy who forgets or/… Read full post »

 If I’ve been remiss in communicating with anyone by blog, email or telephone, or any other method of interaction I apologize; please understand that 2011 hit me with a bang.

You always think after the new year starts that great new things will happen giving you a clean slate, despite decades… Read full post »

 

By nature I’m an apolitical person; also truly areligious. Politics and religion to me are simply divisive entities. Politics and politicians are so thoroughly distasteful to me because of the sleazy, smarmy crap that goes on under the surface of the pretense of helping “the people†whil… Read full post »

“Luck is believing you are lucky.†Tennessee Williams (lifted from a recently read cooking blog…)

(Apparently most people that use this quote do not reference it or know where it comes from…sorry for this research gaff . I will now continue to be obsessed by its origin…)

I have been a… Read full post »

 Some of you might or might not know that I spent a good deal of my professional lifetime writing résumés for people. I executed documents mostly for business and creative folks in the fashion industry – mid-to-top-level management – but also for other professionals (lawyers, medical doctors,… Read full post »

shtikl (shtiklekh):  little piece[s] (of something), a morsel; trick – http://www.yiddishdictionaryonline.com  

What’s a Jewish girl to do on Christmas Eve? I am not expecting copious amounts of gifts – nor am I giving any this year either so there is no frantic wrapping (my favorite task… Read full post »

I am friggin’ tired.

My trip east was relaxing and fun; just what I needed – time away from my job as a full-time patient with each day spent with one enjoyable person or another doing something special like seeing a musical play/movie, or going to a party or something… Read full post »

 I’ve been home for under two days and am already directly back in the swing of patient mode. Today was the CT scan that determines my future.

B-u-u-u-u-u-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-r-r-r r-p-p-p. Oh, the Berrie Smoothie barium suspension crap just decided to return to consciousness. Yuck. As the technician… Read full post »

 

Celestial T-day

T-day Menu

I literally just got on Amtrak to go to Philadelphia….home the early part of my life. Looking forward to it tho my experience is so different when I come back since I rarely go to the old neighborhood. But I digress before I even start this… Read full post »

 Monday afternoon. I arrived Wednesday night at Dulles, drove to the boot camp, and had a nice chat with my big sis before partaking in some greatly needed sleep…I barely remember what we did Thursday – oohhhh, Eileen baked my favorite cookies (not for me mind you but for events coming… Read full post »

The Goils

Elvis & Me at the Newseum

A little tease — not many pics have been taken because I am having too good a time just hanging out with my sis and meeting her cronies. The ladies above are HER old high school buds whom… Read full post »

Taken’ a trip to the East – not the Far East mind you, but to the East coast to my roots. Been on the plane a little over three hours and all they do is feed you. Sitting in first class (from miles long collected) I had orange juice to welcome… Read full post »

Vendela Celestial

Hello all…posts are being written, tho this little chemo patient has been busy as a bee — buzz, buzz – with renewed energy doing normal things like cleaning carpets, cooking yummy food, visiting with pals. Thought you’d all get a kick out of seeing the/… Read full post »

My old dear friend Becky Blecker died early this last month, on Friday, October 1, 2010. I found out on Facebook.

I knew this girl from the time we were three years old. Becky Blecker and I went to Boulevard Day Camp together; nine years later, we rediscovered each other on… Read full post »

Growing up in the stone-age doctors ran their medical practices as businesses which gave them control of their fates. Physicians ministered to their patients intimately and focused on that intimacy created viable businesses — a win-win situation. The other side of this equation:  patients got… Read full post »

 It took three to four days for that blood transfusion to finally kick in weeks ago. My energy level is better but still less than perfect. I found out a few weeks ago last Monday after meeting the newest doctoh on my team, pulmonologist, Dr L, that I was breathing at… Read full post »

Last week I found out that Nelson Mandela stole a book title I’ve been nurturing for more than 12 years. It took me a long time to come up with that gem. The nerve of this man, this terrific force of nature in this history of the world to steal my… Read full post »

Today’s entry is a challenge from Caveman Cook Cuz Markel  — a blogger’s game he says; now I need to come up with eight questions and play tag with eight other bloggers. Problem is I only know two and Markel is one of them. (If you like to cook check out… Read full post »

 Ok, since the last blog on altruism I got some responses that made me think about this topic…anger.

I do and mostly have always felt that anger is a tool meant to be vented and not much more. My anger is not so much controlled as one friend remarked, as much… Read full post »

 
I am a cynic. Born and bred.

Don’t misunderstand; I know there are truly giving, self-less, and self-sacrificing people in this world who give their funds, their time and their love without question and for good reasons. I am related to and befriended to a few.

 Unfortunately, though, I keep… Read full post »

Hi everyone…

Just letting you all know that I am doing a little better — I’ve been sooooo tired, so Von Shtupped, that I had no energy to write a damn word. Then the docs put me back on the wonderdrug Prednisone so while I anot leaping buildings in 10 or… Read full post »

I get it. My job is to be a patient until I get through all this crap but frankly I am bored to tears with all this poking, prodding and pain. I am also sick to death of finding another health issue just when I think I am getting better or… Read full post »