Travels in the South

Welcome back my friends to another edition of Travels in the South.  We have been talking about our visit with our great friends Bill and Jean from Canadian Cats.  If you have missed the previous editions, please check them out here:  Red Lobster; Fogo de Chao; Stately Oaks.

This week, we are talking about what those crazy four peeps did on Friday, 02/19/2016.  Believe it or not, this day was toned down a bit.  You see mom had a doctors visit in the afternoon so why not plan around that and make it a family event – snorts.  More about that in a minute.

To start the day, we took a family tour of our local spa.  Why do you ask?  Of course to get all of our nails done.  Mom just had hers done so she took photographs.  And yes, we mean ALL – even the guys.

Let’s start with Jean here.

Isn’t that cute?  Jean is behaving at this particular moment and she is at the end of getting her nails finished in the drying machine.  What?  You don’t think that Jean misbehaves?  Oh my friends – you would be so wrong.  You are inquiring what am I talking about?

Let me present to you exhibit A.  Jean so openly smoking in the spa.  What shame… what enjoyment she looks like she is having… what audacity.  She just pulled out that cigarette and started smoking it right there and then.  Was getting those nails done that satisfying?  Snorts with piggy laughter.

She puffed like there was no tomorrow and she wasn’t holding prisoners. Everyone was openly staring – Jean puffing and mommy snapping pictures.  Then everyone started laughing.

It’s really hard to keep a straight face when you start eating your cigarette.  The crunch of the candy kind of gave it away.  But hey, you gotta say that Jean has style, right?

When’s the last time you saw candy cigarettes?  Particular Lucky Lights?  I snorted so hard when I saw these pictures.  What a hilarious time huh?

And look at Jean’s finished nails… pretty huh?  Cute little paw prints.  I wonder who that print reminds her of… Shoko or Kali?

And like I said, don’t forget it wasn’t just Jean getting her beautiful nails done.  Oh no.  Let’s talk about the guys here too.  There’s always a first for everything and when you are here in the south – do as the southerners do.  What do you ask?  Well dad gets his toes done all of the time.  So, Bill was swayed into it as well.  This is Bill and Daddy during their bonding time.

Now that is some kind of spoiling, you think?  Hot towels on your legs, massages, toes all looking beautiful – do you think by the looks on the guys faces that they actually enjoyed their little spa treatment?

I say yes.  Of course after this kind of treatment, it was time to do something exciting – everyone went shopping!

After shopping, it was a quick bite to eat and then to mom’s doctors appointment.  It was time for her mammogram follow up.  You see, mom has been getting tested every 3 months for a while to check on a certain spot.  Well guess what?  It must have been having friends there to hold her hands because she was checked and cleared for a 6 month check up – what a day huh?  We were *all* thrilled to hear about this current change.

After the visit to the doctors office, everyone came back to the Hotel Thompson for a visit.  Of course, I was at camp this week.  Mouse Girl was in hiding.  She so doesn’t take for visitors – spoil sport huh?  Hemi was acting like dad’s parrot by being on his shoulder – rolls piggy eyes.  Hemi has pirate issues.  And of course, Houdini was out making friends… of course he barked until Jean gave him some treats.  Then he was hers ❤  Hope you enjoy this pics my friends. Remember, come back next week to see some more Travels in the South.

 

Let’s Be Serious For a Bit My Friends

Friends, I need to be a serious for a bit.  You see, there have been some things going on here at the Hotel Thompson that I’ve kept a secret.  Imagine that.  *Moi* keeping a secret.  I know!  I’m more surprised than you are – really I am.  We have all kept it kind of low key waiting to see the results and today we got some.  Mom/dad said it was okay to share now so I am.

Mom went for her yearly mammogram last Wednesday.  Yes, this is where you can say OUCH!  Mommy says they take her breasts and put them between two pieces of glass. Then they squish them to take pictures.  For some women, there is no pain while others say it is very painful… like mom.  It is definitely NOT a happy time.  She kind of compares it to throwing yourself chest first up against a wall like a squishing a fly.  Can you say it now?  OUCH.

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So this past Friday, she receives the following phone call at 4:50 PM.  On a Friday – remember that okay.

“This is Dora with the Doctor’s Office.  Is this June?”

“Yes, this is June.”

“Can you verify your date of birth and medical record number?”

“Yes…blah-blah-blah”

“The radiologist has reviewed your images from your mammogram this week.  There is some concern over the images on your right breast.  He sees a cluster of calcification and wants you to come back in for more testing.”

With a worried sound in her voice, “Okay.  What does that mean?  When?”

“Calcification can mean a lot of different things.  We need you to come in 8:30 AM next Wednesday, 09/02/2015.  After some more testing, the radiologist will meet with you and go over everything.”

“Okay.  I’ll be there.”  Looks down at clock and it’s now 5:00 PM… on a Friday.  Great.  Now I will need to break this news to my husband so we can both sweat about it ALL weekend.  Terrific.

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So you see friends.  Mom and dad have been worried for a couple of weeks now.  They didn’t tell us anipals about anything until yesterday.  Can you imagine getting this phone call on a Friday afternoon before the weekend?  No wonder mom/dad would just look at each other over the weekend and say to each other, “Really?”  or “What if?”  Unbelievable is what I say.

Yesterday, mom went for her re-test.  Afterwards, the nurse said, “The radiologist wants to speak to you.”  Mom would like to say she was shocked at that but after everything she had been through, can you be more shocked?  Her and dad went to the radiologist’s office to meet with him and go over the results.

So they meet with the doctor and he shows mom/dad all of the images from the Mammogram – the current ones compared to the past ones and talks all of these long words.  That’s when mom speaks up, “Cut to the chase.  What’s going on in my terms?”  Leave it to my mommy huh?  They have found some spots on mom’s right breast. They want to watch them and retake some tests in six months.  He doesn’t think they are anything to worry about but if they are still there and look ‘worse’ in six months, they will probably do a biopsy.  But, he thinks they are okay.  He then went into the different phases, sizes and shapes of different calcification’s.

Bottom line is mom is okay but she has been put through the ringer in the past week with this scare.  Have your moms been through this?  We pray in March 2016 that everything is smooth sailing easy peasy with no worries.  If you can send her healing vibes and prayers, we would so much appreciate it my friends.