Catching up

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warning: very long blog entry!
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It has been a while since I posted. The last week or so I really didn't feel like doing my usual blogging memes and posting. We recieved some news that put me in a bit of a funk.

As you may remember, my husband had surgery on Jan. 2nd to remove the mass from his chest. He was told by both the family doctor and the specialist that it was a fatty deposit (where fat cells build up) and that it was growing due to feeding off a vein that ran through it. Well, due to procedure, they sent the mass to be tested and it came back that it is a very, very rare form of cancer. Since they operated under the pretenses that it was a fatty deposit, they will have to operate again to remove cancer cells and scrape away tissue and muscle from his chest. The surgery will be on Feb. 15th. After that, he may need radiation and possibily chemo, depends what they find. A Cancer surgeon is doing the surgery this time so he will have a better idea of what to look for and will recognize things that may go undetected by another surgeon.

Hopefully, the bulk of the cancer has been removed already and that he will not have to go through too much more than this.

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For now, I thought I would catch you all up on a few things.

Menu Plan Monday

I'll skip the Menu Plan Monday this week but soon I will introduce you to a few recipes that we have been trying lately.

Smart Habit Saturday

I have not really established any schedules as I was hoping to for the month of January, but I have started a few new habits which I hope will continue. One major one is that I have started doing the dishes while I'm making supper. This has saved time and also keeps me from leaving the kitchen to sit down while the food cooks. Generally, I have been finished all dishes by the time the food is ready to go on the table, with exception, of course, of the dishes we're actually using at the table. After we eat, there is only a couple plates and utensils to wash up.

For February, I hope to continue working on these habits and fine tune my after-work routine immediately when I get home. This includes getting my supplies ready for the following day. I think that if I can work on this, then gradually I will free up some more time in the evening and hopefully pencil in some time to do at least one chore each evening. And not to mention it will free up some time in the mornings before I go to work and avoid the mad dash to get out the door.

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Dry Ice by Stephen White

Inside cover:

"It has been many years since the mayhem was unleashed in Privileged Information. Now Michael McClelland, the brilliant, determinded murderer introduced in the first Alan Gregory novel, has left the Colorado State Mental Hospital -- and he's coming after Alan's family. The timing couldn't be deadlier; like a wounded animal, Alan is in a deeply vulnerable state, facing
severe doubts about his professional life, his marriage and his own psyche. And McClelland holds the most powerful weapons of all: secrets from Alan's past. Secrets Alan thought he had successfully buried years ago. Secrets not even his wife knows.

Time is running out as Alan scrambles to out-wit his nemesis while confronting each of his worst nightmares. His becomes a captivating psychological journey into the events that forever change us, and the relentless drumbeat of the past.

This searing view into the doctor's heart leaves us with a haunting question: How far will someone go to protect all that they know and love?"

Another great Alan Gregory book by Stephen White! If you like psychological drama, you should check out this series! It took me longer to read this book than usual but simply because I didn't have the luxery of time and when I did, I was too tired to read much at once. I definately recommend this book.