Funding the Fight to Find a Cure

Every letter my mom sends has this stamp on it. She is a breast cancer survivor and funds the fight to find a cure. In 2000 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and fought the disease with strength and dignity and won the battle. Recently at her yearly check-up with her primary physician, he was concerned about irregularities on her back. The family knew from our immersion into breast cancer information in 2000 that breast cancer will sometimes go to the bone. She had a bone scan done, then a MRI. Finally an appointment at the Cancer Center in Coeur d' Alene was set up. Raymond Pert had already arrived in Kellogg and I drove down to join my brother and Mom to the appointment and try to be a second set of eyes and ears. In her own ways Mom demonstrated that she was rattled as we drove over Fourth of July Pass enroute to the Cancer Center. Entering the building brought back a flood of memories from the visits in 2000 when I accompanied Mom to her chemo treatments. It is tough when you sit in the waiting room knowing many of the people surrounding you are there for treatments or consultations about cancer.

When the doctor walked in the exam room his first words were, " Mary, you are cancer free in your back and neck." I felt relief. My brother wrote that one line on my notepad to ease the tension. The doctor went on to patiently and thoroughly show Mom her MRI pictures of her back and talk to her about what it was- arthritis. We left the room with lighter conversation. Mom's face was much more relaxed, and we could call our sister with good news.
Cancer free... two words I had waited a few weeks to hear. We headed over to Starbucks for a coffee drink to celebrate, did a little shopping, went to lunch and laughed despite the heat. Since she has been cancer free for seven years she was told that her chances of the cancer returning is only 5%. I like those odds!

Baby It's Hot Outside!

When temperatures reach above a hundred degrees I spend more energy figuring out how to stay cool then anything else. Today is one of those days. Of course there is nothing like cold lemonade on a hot day.
Isabelle heads up the ramp, through the cat door, and finds a cool spot in the garage when she is hot.
Shelby loves it if we are near a creek where she can cool her pads and get a long drink.

Annie sits quietly as she gets a haircut, then she will join Shelby in the water if she can!

We drink our morning coffee at the table which is still in the shade.

I don't care how old you are... running through a sprinkler is always an option for cooling down.
When the needle pushes up past 100 do you ever wish for rain?
When we were kids my Dad used to love to swim in the Clearwater River.
When Silver Valley Girl was a baby she had to share her little pool with a turtle. They both stayed cool though!

At the end of the day just watching the sun go behind the trees seems to drop the temperature in the garden. I think I will go adjust the fan and add some ice cubes to my lemonade.

"Sisters, Sisters, There Were Never Such Devoted Sisters"

When I was back home in Kellogg last week my sister Silver Valley Girl and I spent her birthday night going through old pictures. We laughed and remembered events that took place sorting through the piles of pictures that long lost any sense of organization. The picture above is in Mom's backyard about forty years ago. The picket fence is long gone. The lilac bush has been moved and a deck has been built by the sidewalk. Smelter smoke kept the grass from growing much then, but now it is lush and green. Today my sister and I are back together with our brother Raymond Pert. We are enjoying an evening of visiting, looking at more scanned pictures, blogging, and conversation. One of our favorite songs is "Sisters" from "White Christmas". The lyrics are fitting as we enjoy an evening together:
"All kinds of weather,
we stick together
The same in the rain and sun
Two different faces,
but in tight places
We think and we act as one."
-Irving Berlin
You can see Silver Valley Girl's take on the evening here. You can also see that we have changed just a little bit!

Ten Mile Road Trip #4: Barnaby Creek Loop

Sunday we took a ten mile road trip. It had been awhile since we had taken time to take a drive. We headed south on the Inchelium Highway and began our loop at Barnaby Island. I have taken other pictures of this island, but the one above shows how it looks in the summer when Lake Roosevelt is full. This island is popular for houseboats and cabin cruisers to park and swim or spend the night. We headed up Barnaby Creek Road toward a favorite spot of ours on the creek. There are farms and ranches along this road. After traveling west uphill we came to a dirt road we call our " secret spot". It is a clearing we discovered a few years ago. We have camped, hiked, and swam here. The dogs remembered the creek and headed down the hill. I love the way the creek mixes moss, broken branches, and clear water to provide a cool place to rest. There is a trail that heads up the mountain and the dogs usually find some form of wildlife that catches their interest. Today it was a quiet day for squirrels and grouse. We loaded up the rig and traveled north past Lake Ellen then heading east we climbed back up the hill that overlooks Barnaby Island further up the lake. This spot is one of my favorite views of the lake south of my house. The island stands alone covered with evergreen trees. Descending the hill we joined the highway again, making a full circle on our ten mile trip. ( I call it that but JEJ tells me it is probably further).This ten mile road trip reminds me of the scenic out-of -the way places we have close to our house. We are blessed to be able to go and spend an afternoon with the dogs, a snack, quiet beauty, and the camera.

Sunday Scribblings: Picking Green Beans-Be Practical and Remember "Slippery When Wet"

The Sunday Scribblings word this week is slippery. You can find other posts here.

The sun room always felt cool in the early morning. The north windows framed Grandma West’s garden. With precision the straight rows yielded rosy Early Girl tomatoes, pale green sugar peas vining on string supports, and curly Red Sails leaf lettuce ready to harvest. The deep green color of the zucchini plants contrasted with the smaller beet plants just getting a start. Closer to the back fence was a mixture of colors in the flower garden. My eye caught the deep pink cosmos contrasting with the pale yellow gladiolas as they glistened with welcomed dew.

Grandma said morning was the best time of day to pick green beans. From that sun room window I observed her daily ritual. As she gently pulled the ripe beans off the sturdy vines I was drawn to her hands. “When you garden you must be practical,” she explained to me the day before. Practical meant short trimmed nails, clear polish if any, rings left in the dish on the dresser, and no gardening gloves. “No gardening gloves because you must feel the beans with your bare hands to decide if they are ready to pick”, she added in our earlier conversation.
The second daily ritual was wearing sensible gardening shoes. Grandma always explained how the garden soil is slippery when wet. “You need to have shoes with treads that keep you standing,” she would chuckle, “ I would hate to fall on my tomato plants.”

I left that sun room to greet my grandma. Knowing I am the one always known to slip whether the ground is wet or not I walked with care. A question brought her back to the present. “How can you tell when the beans are ready to pick?” I inquired. She was stroking another bean pod as she snapped it from the vine, dropping it with a ping into the rusty galvanized bucket.
“Well now”, she said slowly,” it certainly won’t make you sick. Green beans are good for you. It will put hair on your chest! Come help me pick a mess for dinner, but be careful. The garden soil is slippery when wet.”

As I walked gingerly to her garden post I began pulling the beans off the vine. I turned back to this practical gardener and asked, “Why would I want hair on my chest? I am a girl Grandma!”

Grandma’s Fresh Picked Green Beans
Pick a mess of green beans (judge amount by people served).
Snap the beans in smaller pieces and remove strings if necessary.
Place beans in a pot. Cover the beans with cold water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for forty-five minutes. Drain liquid.
Add crisp fried bacon pieces and toss in a small amount of the bacon grease. Serve warm as a side dish.

A Saturday Garden Tour

Despite the temperatures of over 100 degrees, when we arrived home Thursday we had flowers in full bloom. JEJ has spent hours watering since our return. Here is a photo tour of the garden today. The photos speak for themselves.