Winter (noun)....the three month break between a woman and her razor.

     It most definitely is spring.  I doubt we will be getting a snowstorm any more this year.  Time to break out summer shorts and a razor!  Some of Colorado's ski resorts are closing early for lack of snow. Ornamental pear trees are starting to bloom....beautiful.  It could hit 85 degrees tomorrow.  

     We could certainly use some rain, though.  The wildfire SW of our home was 45% contained as of last night.  Some evacuated families are being allowed home today. Unfortunately, the weekend is predicted to be windy again.

     Did you read the book "Born to Run"?  One of the featured runners, Caballo Blanco, AKA Micah True from Boulder, is currently missing.  He went out for a 12 mile run on Tuesday from the Gila Wilderness Lodge in New Mexico, and has not been heard from since.  Keep positive thoughts for him.  Search and rescue continues.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_20287181/boulder-ultrarunner-micah-true-missing-new-mexico?IADID=Search-www.denverpost.com-www.denverpost.com

     Dean had chemo treatment #5 today.  All went well.  He is scheduled for 5 more treatments after today, with a week off after every two treatments.  Spending Fridays in a chemo clinic is educational.  Depending on how busy their schedule, they see 30-50 people a day.  Family members are there, also. People read, doze, and play video games to pass the time. Life goes on as usual, only with an IV inserted in one's arm...the new norm.   

Random Fact---If you type "askew" into Google, the whole page tilts.

   
(P.S.  As of tonight, the Lower North Fork wildfire near us is 70% contained!)

A small spark neglected has often kindled a mighty conflagration.--Quintus Curtius

     

     I mentioned previously what a dry, warm, and windy month march has been.  There were many wildfires started on Monday.  One is just a few miles SW of our home.

This picture was taken from the street in front of our home.  That is smoke, not clouds.

This picture shows the South Valley Park just south of our subdivision.  Both pictures were taken on Monday.  Today the fire has increased to 4500 acres, two persons are dead, one missing, 23 homes burned, and the fire is still un-contained.  The pre-evacuation area has been increased to the land just abutting this park on the south.  The next pre-evacuation expansion could include our area.

Coincidentally, a wildfire blew through my parent's farm and home place, also on Monday. They were very lucky. They lost the barn, part of the shelterbelt, and some farm equipment; but their home and their lives are safe.  It was also extremely windy there. The fire burned very close to their house, their propane tank, and their machine shed.

 The barn a year ago.

The remains of an antique tractor among barn rubble.

Putting out the burning embers in the shelterbelt.

"Man is the only creature that dares to light a fire and live with it.  The reason?  Because he alone has learned to put it out.    Henry Jackson Vandyke, Jr.

and they're still in love

  Happy 41st Anniversary to us.

  "There are never enough 'I love you's'."  Lenny Bruce

 




I want to grow old with you, and only you.
You're my happily ever after.

One swallow is a coincidence, but two swallows make summer-----Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of all Maladies

     When we were out enjoying the weather yesterday, we heard our first meadowlarks of the year.  We heard several, so it can't be a coincidence, it must be spring!


Interesting medical and nutrition news:

There is a snack containing even higher levels of antioxidants than fruit and vegetables----popcorn (hold the butter and salt, of course).  We love air-popped popcorn.  It is one of our go-to snacks....cheap, tasty, whole grain, and now we know it is anti-oxidant filled.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/243369.php

Cancer survival and diet; one of the best foods is raw broccoli. We are trying to add more to our diet.
http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/raw-broccoli-and-bladder-cancer-survival/

The following quote is from the "Mile Markers" blog by Kristin Armstrong.   (see her blog here:  http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/2012/03/diamonds/ ).

"As I always say, Lorelei Lee got it wrong in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: It's not diamonds that are a girl's best friend, but your best friends who are your diamonds. It's your best friends who are supremely resilient, made under pressure, and of astonishing value. They're everlasting; they can cut glass."

"Think about the diamonds in your life, the way they sparkle and the value they hold for you. Guard them. Polish them. Put them in the best light. Enjoy them. After all, they go with everything."

She always provides wonderful words to ponder.  Who are the diamonds in your life? Enjoy them, polish them, guard them.  

We are family...

Our beautiful, smart Granddaughter with her new glasses.

Both Grandkids had their first tennis tournaments yesterday.  Here is our Grandson with his doubles partner.  They won their match.  Our Granddaughter played in a singles tournament and did well, also.  We are very proud.

We had family visiting for three days, and really enjoyed it.  Here we are visiting our nephew in Fort Collins.

Here is a quote from the sciences area of campus.  One of my favorites by Sir Isaac Newton, "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants," great motivation for those science majors out there.

Today we are back to our normal routine.  March is going down as our driest March in history.  It is extremely dry, warm and windy, but still beautiful.  We got out for some exercise and have to get back into that routine.  

 

No good fish goes anywhere without a porpoise. -Lewis Carroll

     Dean had chemo treatment number four yesterday, another dose crossed off on the calendar.  He is feeling good today.
     This morning I registered our Granddaughter for horse camp.  She and our Grandson will be staying with us for a week this summer.  We can't wait!  We will have to start making plans....maybe some catch-and-release fishing (I realize it is cruel, but what are the chances of us actually catching anything?), some hiking, swimming, a drive to the mountains, etc.
     Our daughter is home again, home again, from her three week business trip/vacation in Great Britain.  She had a great time once she recovered from the pick-pocketing of her wallet at the beginning of her trip. She says that Scotland is very beautiful.  She did have rats in her room one night at a B&B. Goodbye Ralphie-cat. We watched him for her in her absence, and she picked him up last night.  She brought us a gift-jar of  Piccalilli to try.  Thanks, Kate.
-------------------------------------
     More interesting studies are out:

     A study released shows that rats fed genetically modified monsanto corn gained weight, had increased circulating triglycerides and glucose, and disruption of liver function parameters, all indicative of a pre-diabetic profile.  86% of the corn, 93% of the canola, and 93% of the soybeans in this country are GMO.  All processed foods contain some type of GMO ingredients, i.e. high fructose corn syrup.  There are two parts to the video included with the article on the study:
      http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2012-12-20/study-genetically-modified-corn-increases-body-weight-rats


     Long term low-dose daily aspirin decreases cancer risk.  Remember, long tern aspirin usage also has side effects, so talk to your doctor before trying this.
         http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/243171.php

         http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/03/21/149076877/aspirin-might-reduce-cancer-risk-but-it-has-risks-too#more


     Ibuprofen decreases the symptoms of altitude sickness, also called acute mountain sickness.  This may be helpful to people vacationing in high-altitude areas such as the mountains of Colorado.
        http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/243152.php

At long last......Spring.

Happy Spring or Vernal Equinox, everyone!

March has been like this:
"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the winds blow cold;  when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."  Charles Dickens.

"Spring has returned.  The Earth is like a child that knows poems."  Ranier Maria Rilke.

"You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming."  Pablo Neruda

"The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in his heaven-
All's right with the world!"
               --Robert Browning

Our beautiful, miraculous hearts.

expose-the-light:

Inside the Heart

Photograph by Lennart Nilsson

Tissue-paper thin but tough, the valves of the human heart open and close to pump 6 quarts (0.9 liters) of blood a day through 60,000 miles (97,000 kilometers) of vessels. That’s equivalent to 20 treks across the United States from coast to coast. The heart is a magnificent machine when it’s in good working order. But coronary heart disease is the number one killer of American men as well as women, resulting in 500,000 deaths in the United States and killing 7.2 million people worldwide each year.

For more photos please see:
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/photos/heart/#/inside-heart_1008_600x450.jpg



       A very possible additional cause of the obesity epidemic are "obesogens,"  which are toxic chemicals in our diets which mimic estrogens.  Included below is a very compelling article.  I admit, I haven't been as vigilant against bisphenol A in our diets as in the past.  Using canned foods (the can liners contain bisphenol A) is more convenient and cheaper than using fresh;  but that is not a good excuse.  This would help explain why there is an obesity epidemic in infants under the age of six months....that and the fact that cow's milk today is reflective of the diets now fed to cows compared to the more natural diets cows ate 50 years ago.  You can't fool Mother Nature for long.
http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2012-11-18/real-cause-global-obesity-epidemic


     Here is an interesting article which lists the world's top 10 oldest human beings.  The oldest, a woman from Georgia, will be 116 this August.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/15/long-life-worlds-oldest-people_n_1349409.html?ref=healthy-living#s618895&title=Dont_Retire_ 

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

For Syd and Alex:
     What do you get when you cross poison ivy with a four-leaf clover?  A rash of good luck.

     Why should you never iron a four-leaf clover?  You don't want to press your luck.

     "I had an accident opening a can of alphabet soup this morning," said Murphy.
     "Were you injured?" inquired Seamus.
     "No, but it could have spelled 'disaster'," concluded Murphy.

'Tis a beautiful morning and the start of a beautiful weekend.  Have fun everyone.

When Irish eyes are smiling

When Irish eyes are smiling

Sure it's like a morning spring.

In the lilt of Irish laughter,

You can hear the angels sing.

When Irish hearts are happy,

All the world seems bright and gay.

And when Irish eyes are smiling,

Sure, they steal your heart away.

An idea from dietician, Virginia Messina:  Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with "The Eating O' the Greens."

Try something new.

Have a weekend filled with giggles.

 Here are a couple of studies I find interesting, and you may also:

This study links dietary trans-fatty acids with an increase in aggressive behaviors:
        http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0032175


This article proposes that exercise-induced inflammation is not the enemy, but may be a crucial part of the recovery process.  I would never take an ice-bath post exercise because it sounds painful.  Now we know that it also decreases gains in strength.  Anti-inflammatory meds may slow healing.  Concentrate on getting adequate sleep, nutrition, and rest days post exercise rather than popping anti-inflammatories, anti-oxidants, and doing excessive icing.
               http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/recovery/Stress-Tested.html

Today was a scheduled chemo day for Dean, but after a half day wasted sitting in a busy clinic, it was determined that his white count was too low, and to come back and try again on Tuesday.  He missed a full day of work and wasted a vacation day.  Drat.  But better to be safe.

March is National Nutrition Month

     This is a thankfully quiet week at our house.  There are no repair people on the premises.  I am going back to train service dogs two times a week. It is nice to have our routine back.
     The weather is fantastic.  Spring really has sprung.  I have gone outside to jog twice this week.  It is so much harder than on the treadmill, though.  Whether it is because of the hills surrounding our home, or because the treadmill propels your body forward so you don't have to, it is more work but so much more pleasant.
   
      March is National Nutrition month and there have been a few related research studies released which I find interesting.
   
     Here is an article on how malnutrition causes obesity in our nutritionally deficient country:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/malnutrition-obesity_b_1324760.html?ref=healthy-living

     Exercise has immediate positive effects on our DNA.  Our DNA isn't fixed:
   http://www.ahealthblog.com/exercise-produces-change-dna.html

     A Harvard study links red meat intake with increased total, cardiovascular and cancer mortality.  DON'T HAVE A COW.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2012-releases/red-meat-cardiovascular-cancer-mortality.html

     Another Harvard study showed that a brisk one-hour daily walk reduced the genetic influences toward obesity, as measured by BMI, by half.  On the other hand, leading a sedentary life as measured by watching TV for four hours a day, increased the genetic influence towards obesity by half.
       http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/242922.php

     And last, but not least, your diet might be making you bald:
 http://health.msn.com/healthy-living/is-your-diet-making-you-bald

Happy 15th birthday to our nephew Jack.  Hope your day and year are fantastic!

"He who laughs, lasts." Mary Pettibone Poole

     Being Monday, I thought we all could use a smile or three today.


This is the happiest photo ever!  Made you smile!  I absolutely love this.






Go organic.












Where does bad light go?  To prism.  (Thanks Phil and Mary).

Why did the algae fall in love?  They took a lichen to each other.  (Thanks Jack).

May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.    George Carlin


Humor is mankind's greatest blessing.     Mark Twain

Be your own cheerleader.

     I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.  We are.  We did a slow run/walk with our running group today.  The weather is fantastic.
    We went out for Thai food at a local restaurant, Thai Basil, to celebrate Dean's birthday...I think it is our new favorite restaurant.
     Kate called from Edinborough.  She is having a fun trip, and the initial theft of her wallet isn't getting her down.
     Our floor refinishing and repairs are completed, so our house is our own again.  We are no longer camping out in the basement and working our schedules around repair people.

Happy 61 Dean!

Only a few things are really important.    (Marie Dressler)




I love you to the moon and back.






Sorry you have chemotherapy on your birthday.  Tomorrow we'll party.

Don't worry, toenails are overrated.

Best spectator signs seen at marathons:

You are all Kenyans.

Toenails are for sissies.

Worst parade ever.

Don't die.

No one ever drowned in sweat.

My Grammy is faster than you.

Who fartlek'd?

One day you won't be able to do this.  Today is not that day.

Your feet are hurting 'cause you're kicking butt.

Because 26.3 would be crazy.

Don't worry, you're only half crazy (seen at a half marathon).

You should have pooped when you had the chance.

Run like you stole something.

Mortuary ahead---look alive.

If it was easy, I would do it.

Don't stop---people are watching.

You're a better running mate than Palin.

Beat Oprah.

Run Forrest Run!!

Phidippides almost died at this point in his race.

That's not sweat, it's your fat cells crying.

The Accidental Athlete

     I just finished John "The Penguin" Bingham's newest book:  The Accidental Athlete.  It is autobiographical. There were a couple of quotes that I found inspirational and want to share with you.

"This is a self-guided tour through one life, my life, and I hope that you will see yourself somewhere in my struggle to become an athlete."

"You are your best training partner, your best coach, your harshest critic, and your biggest fan.  You are both the player and the cheerleader in your life."

"The late George Sheehan wrote that we are all an experiment of one.  That's true.  But we are also an experiment of one within a community of thousands of experiments."

"Your body is a marvelous machine and you are your own mechanic."

Would you like some McStatins with that?

     The floor repair people were here for 12 hours yesterday, with the extremely loud sander going for at least half that time, dust everywhere, and me confined to the family room, office, or basement.  It was frustrating.  But camping out overnight went okay.  Dean took the couch, I took the floor and we slept fine.  Luckily, today will be warm as they put down the first coat of polyurethane.  I can open a window later to release some of the fumes.  The rest of the week, though, will be cold and snowy so no windows can be opened.  I may be relegated to the basement.
     Our daughter's cat, who we are caring for while Kate is in Great Britain, was upset by all the commotion and has been even pukier than usual.
     If I wasn't so lacking in trust I would just leave the house unlocked, let them do their thing, and  be gone for the day everyday.  I don't like strangers in the house alone, though, as we have been burned by that in the past.  Things were stolen.

     A couple of weeks ago I read the new book, "The End of Illness" by Dr. David B. Agus, an oncologist and researcher.  I didn't review it at the time as I didn't find it very helpful, although he did theorize about what form medical care in the future would take, which was mildly interesting.  Also, he proposed the controversial idea that possibly everyone over the age of forty should take statins to reduce chances of inflammation and cancer. I thought that was a terrible idea.
     Then,  there was an article in "The American Journal of Cardiology" with a Dr. proposing that fast food restaurants dispense free cholesterol-lowering meds along with cheeseburgers and fries to offset their harmful health effects.  http://www.advancednaturalmedicine.com/heart-health/do-you-want-mcstatins-with-that.html
     Today there was new information out about the adverse effects of statins.  They may cause cognitive changes or brain fuzziness.  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/help-for-the-heart-comes-with-a-price-for-the-brain/
     The FDA changed their safety warnings for statins.  Periodic liver function testings are no longer necessary.  They do add warnings about possible increased blood sugars and memory loss in some people. http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fda-changes-safety-information-on-statin-drugs-201202294429
     Doesn't all this seem terribly unnecessary?  If everyone just ate right, no statins would be required, at least for most people.

     The brain fuzziness is also a known side effect of chemotherapy.  A lot of the time Dean mentions that he just feels fuzzy, and that he can't express the feeling any better than that.  It is sometimes called "chemo-brain."  For most people, the effects last for only a short period of time, fortunately.

Happy Monday.

We are having our floors refinished this week after having a water leak a few weeks ago. We "get to" camp out in our basement and family room for four days while this is being done.  This should prove to be interesting!  How much cooking can I do in an old microwave in the basement?

Be a "get to" not a "got to" person.  Each day can be an opportunity, if you see it (seize it) that way.  
                                                  Josh Cox, from Runnersworld.com

March, the month of winds.

     We had a busy weekend.  We got to see our nephew play Rugby, and it was a great game.  We still haven't quite figured out all the rules, yet, though. Way to go Mike (number 20)!

   
     Then on Sunday we went to the Waterton Canyon Trail, which has been closed for many months and just reopened on March 1.  It was a beautiful day for a change, although still windy.  We can't wait for spring but days like this remind us that it will be coming soon.

   

Kharma

Lost, one man's gold wedding band, which fell off, unnoticed.
Found, one man's gold wedding band, had fallen into gym bag.
     (We're lucky, and now Dean will have his ring resized)

                           

  On Febr. 27 I blogged about a research study being planned at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in which breast cancer patients will be treated with diet, exercise, stress management and social engagement, along with their allopathic treatments.  This study is being sponsored by the David Servan-Schreiber Foundation.  Back to that in a minute.
     This isn't the first research done using diet and exercise on cancer patients.  Dr. Dean Ornish did preliminary studies several years ago which showed that a low fat, vegan diet and exercise lowered PSA levels in prostate cancer patients. There have been many other similar studies..
     Back to Dr. Servan-Schreiber.  In reading about the breast cancer study and his foundation, I learned of his death last July.  Dr.  Servan-Schreiber had brain cancer which was supposedly immediately terminal, yet he lived for almost 20 years using diet, exercise, meditation, and other alternative treatments along with his conventional treatments of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.  He wrote a great book called "Anti Cancer, A New Way of Life," which I have read in the past and just re-read.  The section on anti-cancer foods is very enlightening. He discusses his fight against cancer in this book.
     He was one of the founders of the U.S. branch of "Medicine without Borders," an International organization that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

Exercise today because:

"The Hunger Games" was a good book series.  We enjoyed all three books, and plan on seeing the movies.



Unfortunately, we still fall more towards the 14 minute/mile speed.





Have a fantastic weekend.
Hooray--Today is an off-chemo Friday for Dean, but he does have to go have his labwork drawn to see how low his counts have gone. Fingers crossed.