Peaceful Weekend

This is the first weekend in weeks that we did not have one single thing on the schedule for the weekend.  We have had a couple of wonderful weekends filled with family.  Last weekend was especially busy, as Bill's son was graduating with his MBA from CSUMB.  The local university is highly recognized for their distance learning program for MBAs.  So it was an amazing weekend, filled with a large family, and lots of celebration.  Best of all, we got to spend time with Bill's little bitty, one year old granddaughter, who is just the sweetest little girl.  We had lots of fun shopping for toys before her arrival. 

 

So this weekend, we did not have anything on the schedule.  The only goal I had for the weekend was getting my hair cut, as I was way overdue.  My sweet baboo said that he would be happy to drive me to the mall, and he would go have a coffee at Starbuck while he waited with his book.  It was nice to have his company, and I took him to lunch afterwards.  We just got to have a really leisurely lunch and chat, which seemed luxurious.  We walked around Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma, and our other favorite stores.  I decided that we probably needed to refuel so I got these little mini cupcakes to share:

We both LOVE coconut so we opted for that one first.  Bill adores buttercream frosting, and this buttercream was amazing.  It was so rich, we had to take the other two home  The yellow one is a Meyer Lemon cupcake and the other is a devil's food. They were awesome. 

 

Late in the afternoon I was able to go for a facial.  It had been six months since my last one, and I was in desperate need.  The aesthetician suggested a peel, my first one ever, and I can not believe the difference in how my skin looks and feels.  I felt like I was on a vacation for an hour.  I came home pretty mellow and stitched on the sofa while Bill watched a John Wayne movie.  It was a perfect evening.

 

Today has been awesome.  We had brunch with our best friends after church and got to hear about their adventure in Japan.  When we got home, I decided to finally clean out the bedroom closet.  It was way overdue.  I took everything out of it, and only put back in things I am really wearing.  I have three large bags of cloths and shoes to go to charity tomorrow.  It looks so organized now.  I needed to feel successful at one area before I try to spring clean the next thing  We also took Liesl for a beautiful walk by the water.  She has a certain really perky walk she does when she is really happy.  It makes both of us happy to see her like that. 

 

So far it has been a joyful weekend.  I am going to stitch a bit more tonight.  I feel so grateful for all of the simple joy of the weekend.  It is nice to have a bonus day off this week, and tomorrow we will share a prayer for all those who have passed in service to our country. 

Catching up!

 

It has been a busy few weeks around the cozy cottage.  Last weekend we decided to celebrate Liesl's Daddy's birthday by heading out the Big Sur for the day.  Liesl loves to go with us, so we strapped on her Doggles and off we went.  As a side note, Doggles are dog goggles specifically designed as protection against sun, wind and dust for dogs like Liesl that ride with their heads out of the window.  My hair is absolutely a mess, but her eyes are protected.  Most of all, Liesl thinks she looks good and we get lots of smiles from other drivers.

 

PS:  Liesl only gets to ride on my lap with her head out of the window when momma is a passenger in the car.  For the safety of others, Liesl and myself, Liesl is never allowed on my lap when I am driving.  In addition, for her safety she only gets her window rolled down partially if I am driving.

 

Here is a Point Sur and the Point Sur Lighthouse.  It was our typical cold gray May day.

 

Here is one of the beautiful plants in the gardens at the Big Sur Bakery.  They had some lovely gardens on the property.  We sat under the big trees and ate our lunch.  Bill had the chicken salad and I had the avocado and radish sandwich on their delicious bread.  While lunch was tasty, I did not think it was awesome.  It was okay.  Being in Big Sur though was wonderful and we were just happy to be together.  After the melanoma scare, we are especially grateful for every blessing in our lives.

So we had a nice weekend.  Tomorrow I will update this weekend's activities.  Tonight, I am just happy to sit and stitch.

Public Service Announcement

We have had a rather interesting and stressful time around the cozy cottage recently.  About a month ago, Bill went to the dermatologist to get some skin tags removed.  While he was there, the doctor noticed a mole on his shoulder and sent it out for biopsy.  The scary diagnosis came back as melanoma.  He went in to have the mole removed, which ended up leaving a two inch square hole in his shoulder which had to be left open until results came back from the lab. 

 

Bill is a two time cancer survivor .  The results did not come back for two weeks.  During that time he said that he would only think positive thoughts. We prayed for a good outcome, as did our friends.  On Tuesday, the doctor called and said that they had gotten all of the cancer cells, and that it had been caught just in time before the cells got out of the tumor.  We are extremely grateful to God for his mercy and sending Bill to the right doctor just in time.  Today he was finally sewn back up.  It took 100 hundred stitches and we are grateful for every one. 

 

After seeing all of this, I quickly got myself to the dermatologist.  I have never been to a dermatologist.  Now that I am over 50, my skin is starting to change a bit, so I am not sure what is dangerous and what is normal aging.  I saw an awesome doctor who understood my concern and thankfully pronounced me healthy. 

 

Bill's doctor told him that melanoma is not something hereditary or internal.  It is from the sun.  After this, I will forever wear a hat, cover up and wear sunscreen. 

 

I have had so many people close to me go through a cancer journey within the past year.  I also lost a close friend last October to cancer.  Please, please, please go through any age appropriate cancer screening.  If you have any spots on your skin that do not look right, please have them checked. 

 

Also, if your pets have any moles, have them checked.  Liesl had one checked on her chest earlier this year.  Schnauzers have gray skin, so her mole is black.  Her veterinarian took a biopsy and fortunately, it was not a bad mole.  However, her vet recommended it be removed as a precaution in case it changes.  We will be doing that in the next couple of months. 

 

We are more grateful than ever today for our blessings.  Life is a great gift, yet it is all so fragile. Hug those you love and let them know how much you love them.