In case you missed it coming up soon!  I can’t believe who got kicked off of Dancing with The Stars!

So I got home yesterday after a long day at the radio ranch, starving and pretty much grocery free. What to do? I scrounged around and came up with this salad, which I’m thinkin’ you all might like to share with the family – it was good! For two of us, I drained a can of garbanzo beans, and added a thick chunk of diced ham, about a cup of chopped cauliflower, some chopped cilantro, and splashed on olive oil, some sherry vinegar, a dash of cumin, salt and pepper. I mixed it all up and enjoyed it with a nice slice of toasted bread. Good, cheap, and yummy!

I would have to say that this has been one of the worst months of my life!  A few weeks back Amy and I got THE CALL that no one wants to get.  The one where the doctor says, “I’m sorry but the test results are not good.”

Our dermatologist removed a 1.29 millimeter melanoma from her back.  The next step was to go to The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.  There we met our doctor and his staff that I must say were beyond incredible.  He explained t0 us that our next step would be surgery to remove more tissue and the removal of a lymph node (ended up being 3).

So we went to surgery the following week at the UW Medical Center where we met more incredible people and received amazing treatment.  The results came back and there was no sign of cancer in the lymph nodes, BUT…there is always a but with cancer it seems.  The BUT was that they found a small cluster of “shallow” cancer cells near the original tumor (aka black mole).  This, in their world, is nothing to be concerned about and more tissue will be removed.

Please don’t take any of this blog to be medical advice or even accurate for that matter, but I am learning a lot about this nasty thing called Melanoma.  And from what I understand there is actually a zero stage of Melanoma, which is nearly 100 percent curable.  I’m assuming that is what it means when they find shallow cells that haven’t started to form a tumor.  So I’m praying that Amy will go in and have a little more tissue removed near the “cluster” and then we will be done.  From what I have gathered, they keep removing tissue until they have a section that is 100 percent clear.  In other words, they rarely say, “we found some bad cells but I think we got em all!”

If you have any moles that are changing colors and look strange then please, please, please get to a dermatologist.  This is especially true for those black moles that bleed…if you have one of those then see a doctor ASAP.   If you catch Melanoma or other skin cancers early then the 5 year prognosis is nearly 100%.

The question is…how can we reduce our chances of getting the big black mole?  Well, dermatologist recommend lots of sunscreen and staying out of tanning beds.  In fact, some research shows that you increase your chances of getting Melanoma by 70% by using tanning beds.  I know it sucks…we love the sun too, but thank God we live in the great northwest where it’s hip to be pale!

I love you and thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.  Keep them coming and we will keep you up to date.

Tony

You know how sometimes it just hits you that you’re a grown up? It happened to me yesterday in Costco and it was one of the most middle aged moments ever. I was standing there in the hair care aisle, calling my significant, and asking him what kind of Rogaine he needs. We went with the mousse formula, but wow – how adult!

So my pal has a bunch of apple trees and made some great hard cider; here’s what we came up with after tasting several bottles…..It’s really just apples sauteed in butter and cooked down with cider, but it’s great with roast pork or chicken.  Use  firm apples so you don’t end up with applesauce, and you’ve got a great side dish. In 2 Tb. butter, saute’ 1 chopped shallot till it’s soft. Then add 3 thinly sliced Fuji or Granny Smith apples, 1 cup of hard cider, 1 tsp. thyme (fresh is best), and 1 or 2 Tb. maple syrup, depending on how tart your apples are. Stir this all around, add salt to taste, and then let it simmer slowly for around 1/2 hour; you should have a nice syrup on the apples and  a lovely smell in your kitchen. If you’ve used the right fruit it can sit on warm for a while as you get the rest of dinner ready, or just keep it on hand for whenever you might need some fruity goodness. Delicious!

My friends, I need help. I’m trying to get to work earlier here at The Wolf, and I need assistance cutting things out of my morning. I mean, 3 AM is kind of tough….I’m trying to not make the bed, which will save 4 minutes, andI’ve cut out eyeliner, which saves another 2 1/2, but these things are important and I already miss ‘em. Even my cat Hugo J. Treadwell is confused when the alarm goes off. So any ideas you all might have to help me save time would be great……thanks darlings!

So yesterday I was feeling SICK; I’m sure most of you know how fun it is when your co-workers come in coughing all over you and touching stuff with their germy hands! Anyway, I had the achy sweaty thing going on and since I knew I had to be here today, I got to PCC and picked up some Oscillococcinum. Please don’t ask me to pronounce it, but it’s an herbal remedy that truly helps, and there’s no alcohol, side effects, or any kind of weirdness. If you feel strange, get on down to the health food store or Co-op and get some of this stuff – it’s great!

Ok, I fought it – I really did. Musicals have always embarrassed me and made me uncomfortable, and after the first few Glee episodes I just said no. BUT…I started watching again, and even tho I still sometimes fast forward thru some of the songs, I cried after Tuesday’s show. It’s good, and I’m not afraid to admit I love Sue!!

Sunday I was at the wedding show at Emerald Downs and it was great! There was a wonderful fashion show, great jewels, Gosanko chocolate (my new boyfriend!) and the best idea ever – Legendary donuts. I’m going to suggest to my boyfriends’ daughter Molly that she have a tower of ‘em at her wedding; SO good. Auburn even has a caviar store, so again, all I can say is wow. Shop in Auburn!!