2018--Striving to Make This Year Our Best Possible

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  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    Pam - your SIL thinks she got sick on hospital food? Once she gets better, that should be one you can rib her about for years.

    In the spirit of my lifetime of convenience foods, I use the McCormick Bag and Season for tenderloin. We love it! I panicked the other day when it was out of stock on amazon and ordered a bunch from two other online vendors. Now of course it's already back in stock on Amazon (the stores around here don't seem to have the Bag and Season any more). I love it; DH cuts off the seasoned "crust" (or what I call "the good part").
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Helene--Glad your PT is off to a good start.


    I'm not doing anything much for Christmas. Stovetop dressing and ham slices.

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  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,858 Member
    Is that Midnight. He’s gorgeous. Your Christmas sounds nice and relaxing.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Helene--The original pic is much better. That is from the reduced one used by Facebook as my pic. When the pic was enlarged with the Christmas addition for posting, it was pixelated. He has gorgeous, shiny, lush black fur.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    Midnight is GORGEOUS! My (black) Jack and Smokie say "heh, Midnight, us black cats have to stick together". On my (now almost defunct) cat bulletin board we called them the Ebony Brigade.

    We're not doing anything tomorrow either. My baby brother and his wife are taking dad to breakfast. I tried hard to convince myself I could get up before dawn tomorrow and drive up there but I just don't have it in me. I'll call dad today.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
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  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Maryanne---Love the term "Ebony Brigade!" One drunk mousie!!

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  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    I don't know why black cats are so hard to place - they're gorgeous!
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Maryanne--I think the superstition about black cats still persists. Midnight was adopted.

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  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    edited December 2018
    Jean - we've had several black cats over the years. Beethoven (whose death was the impetus for me founding Cat Rescue of Maryland, Inc. and who is the black cat in our logo), Missy, Mehdi, and Holly Berry and our current two: Jack and Smokie.

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    You can't see it in most small scans of our logo but along the edge of the garbage can it says "In memory of my beloved Beethoven".

    We've never had any problem placing black cats through our vet's adoption cage but shelters have a terrible time with them. Our Jack arrived at the York SPCA at Christmas in 2006 (we've never know if he was a stray who was rescued and turned in or a pet someone surrendered). I often think that if Penn hadn't snatched him up for the transplant program his days would have been short.

    One of our volunteer's sister in law, who lives near me, had only ever had black cats until a stray Siamese appeared in her life and stayed. I reassured her she still was within her theme because genetically a Siamese cat is a black cat with a gene that overlays the Siamese pattern.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    edited December 2018
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  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
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  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,961 Member
    edited December 2018
    I hope everyone had a good Christmas. My day was overshadowed by some bad news concerning my favorite cousin, Bob. He was taken to the hospital yesterday with stroke-like symptoms, but a scan showed a large tumor in his brain. He will be having surgery later this afternoon to try to remove it. He had a Merkel cell carcinoma removed from his face about 18 months ago and had follow up radiation afterward. So far, all of his follow up tests and scans have been clear, so this was a big shock for him and his family. He and his wife of 52 years are 2 of the nicest, kindest people on the planet. He has 2 daughters and 2 granddaughters and is at Duke Medical Center in Durham, NC. His surgeon is listed as a Master Surgeon and is credited as being one of the foremost experts in the world in this type of surgery, so we know he is in good hands, but the speed at which all of this is happening is concerning.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    Pam - wow, that is scary. Here's hoping the surgery goes well! Not a time of year anyone wants to be having surgery but sounds like he's in good hands (and lucky that the surgeon wasn't on vacation).
  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,858 Member
    I remember when Ted Kennedy was seeking the best treatment for his brain tumor, he went to Duke. Considering the excellent medical facilities in Boston, that’s a high recommendation for Duke. I hope he does well there. I think he’s at a great place and it sounds like he has a very skilled surgeon. Keebler us posted about how he does.
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Pam--So sorry about your cousin. Hopefully the surgery goes well.
  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,961 Member
    Bob’s surgery went well. A tumor the size of an orange was successfully removed from his brain. It was encapsulated except for a small piece, which is good news. He will have chemo and radiation to deal with that, but is expected to make a good recovery. Today he is already up walking around and eating and will go home later today to recover at home with home health and PT coming to him. Reports are that his sense of humor is intact, as well! I’m so relieved, as is his family.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    edited December 2018
    The size of an ORANGE? Wow!!! So glad the surgery went well. I'm sure chemo and radiation are not something he's looking forward to going through (again, in the case of the radiation) but that's wonderful that he has a good chance.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
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  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,858 Member
    Pam,that’s great news. I hope his treatment goes as well as the surgery went. How long will he have to stay in NC?
  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,961 Member
    He lives near Raleigh, so NC is home. Originally he is from Cincinnati, OH, but when their younger daughter married and had children he and his wife decided to move down there upon his retirement from a long career in education. At that point their older daughter and her husband decided to go, too so the entire family unit is in that area now. Durham is where the Duke Medical Center is located and it’s a bit of a drive from their house, but well worth it for the caliber of care he has received. He’s at home now and doing well from all reports. He has an appointment on the 11th to map out the next phase of treatments.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    Pam - good thoughts continue to be headed his way!
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    Jean - cat channeling Midnight -

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  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
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  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Pam--Great news!

    We are still having above normal temps, those more similar to April. According to the weather report, we are finishing the year with the most rain on record with reporting dating back to late 1800s.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
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  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    I'm trying to get my filing done. Work files, personal files, CROM files. Never ending paper!
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    Maryanne--Great selections of cat memes! Good luck on the paper. Remember when computers were going to save us all types of paper work?
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    I'm making progress on the paper piles but have a LONG way to go.

    I doubt my younger colleagues use the amount of paper I do but I don't think any of us uses NO paper.

    The Jehovah's Witness folks were around today. They bring multiple car loads of people into the neighborhood for some unknown reason. I don't mind them knocking on doors (although we have a large "no soliciting" sign) - because I just don't answer the door - but when they wander around peering into, and knocking on windows if they see movement, I draw the line. If you're rude enough, you can see me at my work desk.

    Just your typical Saturday in the Baltimore suburbs.......

  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,684 Member
    KonaKat wrote: »
    Maryanne--Great selections of cat memes! Good luck on the paper. Remember when computers were going to save us all types of paper work?

    That white cat looks like our late Linus in her later years (after she got chubby). She was our first, moved with us to Baltimore (and having her at our old townhome in PA for 3 days cost us our security deposit (nosey landlady)).
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