#continued support

- Nat Like The Bug

As they had Many Children they were not able to give me a lot of Attention maybe that is why I am the way that I am.

They were not happy about my decision to Marry Young so once I began to live with my Ex Husband Harold (may he rest in peace) I did not talk to them often.

I Am SUPERWOMAN!!!: I am Not Perfect And That’s Okay

Well if you are someone that has been an avid reader of I AM SUPERWOMAN thank you for the continued support. In this next one, I AM going to prove I am human too! Not every day goes smoothly there are times that I have what I call rough moments. It is how you shape your day. Just like any other day my day started with my cup of coffee and my blog entries for the day for My Morning Cup of Java.…

Turkey will continue protecting East Med rights of Turkey and TRNC

The Turkish Foreign Ministry noted that the main cause of the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean in recent years has been the Greek and Greek Cypriot Administration’s (GCA) maximalist maritime jurisdiction area claims and unilateral acts that ignore Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and added that Turkey will resolutely…

BEIRUT | Prominent Syrian activist killed in rebel-held province

BEIRUT— A war monitor and Syrian activists are reporting that masked gunmen in the country’s rebel-held northwestern province have killed a prominent anti-government journalist who was also a sharp critic of Islamist militants.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says gunmen fired Friday at Raed Fares and colleague Hammoud al-Juneid in Kafranbel, a town in the south of Idlib province. The two…

WASHINGTON | Pompeo to meet with NK counterpart Thursday in New York

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be traveling to New York on Thursday to meet with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Yong Chol.

The State Department says the top U.S. envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, will join Pompeo and Kim to discuss efforts toward what it calls “achieving the final, fully verified denuclearization” of North Korea.

Over the weekend, North Korea criticized…

New Story has been published on https://enzaime.com/untraditional-traditions/

Untraditional Traditions

I do not think of myself as traditional. My style is a bit bohemian, artsy, and I would even say funky. So, Thanksgiving, a traditional holiday, does not exactly align with my style. The traditional foods that you see at Thanksgiving- turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce- will not be making an appearance on my dinner table this year.

I am a big fan of mashed potatoes and stuffing, but I have disdain for turkey! I use to enjoy eating turkey, but for some reason in my thirties, I developed an aversion to it. The gross feeling I felt when preparing a turkey whenever I hosted Thanksgiving may have caused that aversion. To accommodate those, like myself who would not eat turkey, I always would make a roast or meatballs as well.

Sometimes, holidays can be difficult. My Thanksgivings were always filled with plenty of food, good conversation, and laughter. Then, in 1998, I started to dislike Thanksgiving.

My mom passed away in October of 1998. So, one month later, I was still sad and I did not want to celebrate Thanksgiving. Celebrating Thanksgiving just would not be the same without my mom. That year, and for a few years after, my family went to a restaurant to celebrate Thanksgiving. Overtime, different family members and myself have hosted the meal.

To this day I am not a fan of celebrating Thanksgiving. I am not quite sure why. It might have to do with not having my parents here to help celebrate or that this holiday revolves around turkey. Thanksgiving and I just do not get along; so, I was not upset when I missed two Thanksgiving celebrations due to chemotherapy side effects.

I do not want to portray a negative attitude because there are still some wonderful parts to holidays. I always enjoy getting family and friends together to share a meal and each other’s company. But, I feel you do not need a holiday to get friends and family together! I love to entertain, and host many parties throughout the year for the sole reason of bringing family and friends together.

This year I will be hosting Thanksgiving once again at my home. I enjoy cooking, but you won’t find a turkey or traditional sides on my table (my guests seem fine with my decision)!

I am ready for the holiday and have much to be thankful for. I get to spend time with my daughter, Michaela, who is home from college. I am excited to have her home, even if it is only for a few days.

New Story has been published on https://enzaime.com/giving-thanks-breast-cancer/

Giving Thanks to Breast Cancer

As I thought about what I wanted to write this week, my mind kept going back to the fact that in a few days, another Thanksgiving will be upon us. The holiday means different things to different people, especially as we grow up and become adults. For some, Thanksgiving means planning a day to spend with family or friends and either travelling to them or entertaining them in our homes. For some, Thanksgiving means scouring the ads and planning one’s Black Friday strategy. For some, however, it means facing the first major holiday without a loved one. Most of us have been there and many probably agree that the thought of having that empty seat at the Thanksgiving table casts a sad pall over the thought of not only the Thanksgiving celebration, but of the coming weeks as we head towards other holidays.

In the past few months, we have lost several women who were regular posters on bcmets.org. We miss them, not only because they are no longer a part of our group, but because they represent what lies ahead for us. One day, the “sad news” will be about our own passing, posted by a grieving loved one or another poster who knew us or came across our obituary. Although it is morbidity that might be unimaginable to some – for women and men with metastatic breast cancer, it is reality.

This will be my third Thanksgiving and holiday season since my own mets diagnosis (20 years following my stage 1 diagnosis). I’ve now had more than 2 years to think about what I could possibly give thanks for. To be honest, my first Thanksgiving following my diagnosis in 2009 was filled with sadness and uncertainty. I looked around the room at the big family gathering and pictured future gatherings without me. The fact that my ex mother-in-law, who I adored, had died from lung cancer earlier in the year didn’t help. In 2010, I was invited to my daughter’s boyfriend’s parents’ home. Since I hardly knew them, most of the day was filled with small talk and honestly, with the exception of my daughter, not having to be surrounded by family actually helped me because I didn’t have to spend the day trying to show how good I was doing to relatives who saw me once or twice a year and expected me to be sick because I have advanced cancer. I still wasn’t ready to “give thanks,” though. As we headed to this year’s holidays, I decided that I was ready to give thanks, because, in reality, I do have many things to be thankful for.

Of course, I am thankful that my cancer hasn’t spread. It’s still in my back and has made no move. (Passing the 2-year mark in October was huge for me!) Once again, I will be spending Thanksgiving with the family who are now my daughter’s future in-laws, as she and her wonderful fiancé will be marrying in June, 2012 – yet another thing to be thankful for. I am thankful for those who have passed, as they left me a very powerful message about facing metastatic breast cancer with dignity and grace – never giving in to the part of cancer that can so easily strip our soul and spirit. Most of all, however, I am thankful for my family, friends, co-workers and medical team. Without their continued support, I could not walk my walk. They lift me in the moments I need them and are always willing to laugh with me on the good days and cry with me on the bad. I am incredibly lucky to have them in my life and although it’s taken me more than two years, I can finally say I give thanks for my wonderful life and can once again wish others a “Happy Thanksgiving.”