Daily Reminders

Once you've dealt with cancer (that is, having it) you will find that although the treatment may be long ago completed - there remain - daily reminders of the ordeal.  Lurking just past the reminders is the FEAR and ANXIETY and WORRY.  For today though, I want to look at one of my daily reminders that I finally chose to do something about!

EYEBROWS!

It's bad enough that my hair is painfully thin and mostly not quite there...but in addition - I have NO eyebrows, NONE!  I've tried to embrace the look and 'channel' Whoopi Goldberg, but lacking her dreds - I just couldn't pull it off.

So, day after day, week in and week out, month by month and year to year...I drew on my eyebrows for the world and for me.  Eyebrows are really pretty important to how we look and the expressions we make.  Every day, it seemed, the eyebrows (at least to me) would look a little bit different.  I got pretty good at it.  But, as I stood before the mirror each morning and put them on and later that night  = washed them off, I was reminded of one more thing cancer took from me.

I thought and thought (ruminated really) about getting tattooed eyebrows - but hesitated each and every time I came close to following through.  Living in LA means that I have had opportunity to see about a bazillion women with BADLY tattooed eyebrows.

I finally put out a call to my virtual support group - breastcancer.org and got TONS of helpful information and even a referral.

This is where the miracle begins.

13 different women told me about the same medical tattoo artist in Santa Fe.  I researched her and was so impressed with her training, her credentials and her professionalism.  I contacted her and we talked for over an hour by phone.  She invited me to visit her in Santa Fe and to stay in her little casita.  I shared with her some of my 'New Mexico Story' as I think of it and she let me know that she's originally from Orange County and once a month travels there to have a clinic in the back of a friend's boutique shop.

I was "sold"!

Jeanine McTasney is an angel, a saint, a gift!  She is a Board Certified Clinical Instructor in permanent make-up and specializes in medical tattoos. My sweet friend, Matt came with me (I was nervous) and Jeanine made the whole experience wonderful.  She took ages drawing, redrawing, adjusting, 'tweaking' my eyebrows so they looked natural and symmetrical, but not perfectly so as to look like actual eyebrows!  The tattooing part was painless.  Unlike 'regular' tattoos, she uses a topical anesthetic so there is NO pain.

I LOVE my eyebrows.  I am so grateful to Jeanine.  I went back to see her about 6 weeks later to get some 'darkening' done because there is natural fading with the first application.  Better too light than too dark, right?  She even tattooed on little tiny 'hairs' so unless I tell you - you cannot tell that these are not the 'real thing'.

THANK YOU JEANINE McTASNEY FOR BEING IN THE WORLD!!

And now, when I see or think about my eyebrows - I don't focus anymore on cancer, I focus on this lovely, talented woman with a heart as big as California and New Mexico put together and I rejoice in knowing her!!

"Patio Time"!

This is what I say to the dogs when I want them to go out to the patio through the little doggy door "patio time".  I use a sing songy voice and even my friends know to do this know when they are over!

I'm really enjoying my new and improved patio space and have the mosquito bites to prove it!!

Come, join me for some relaxation...

bright blue chairs and a fun lime green table

bougainvillea, lavender, statice and pygmy date palm

more loveliness with cooling dog beds on either side

corner planter

sporty dog houses shaded by ficus plants circa 1997

fun solar powered dragonfly lights

pretty copper whirligig

PERFECT PATIO!

Matt worked very hard yesterday to right the wrongs on the patio!  The drip system he put in is amazing and it wasn't all that hard.  I can do it now!  It waters the plants beautifully, is fully adjustable, the rest of the patio doesn't get wet, water goes ONLY where it is supposed to go AND the hose is completely hidden beneath the fence!  Can you tell that I love it!

I gave Matt the (ever so pretty and toxic to dogs) Cordyline Australis.  It will look great in his yard or on his front porch.  And my pups will be safe!

Cordyline Australis

I replaced it with 2 of these.

Pygmy Date Palms

We detached each of three trellises from the fence.  I had explained to the 'expert' that my fence gets replaced every 3- 4 years so please do not install anything on the fence (sigh).  The bougainvillea plants are doing nicely.

Fuchsia Bougainvillea

Four of the ten lavender plants died so I replaced them with some statice.

Purple Statice

I think it will THRIVE!

not pleased with the patio

Sigh!  I so want my little 9x18x9 foot patio space to be a pleasant little sanctuary for me and my pups.  So - I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and invest some $$ into the project.  Up until now (for the past 10 years that I've lived here) I've made numerous unsuccessful attempts to DIY.  So, with a strong recommendation from someone I know and respect and whose judgment I trust - I hired a 'consultant/designer'.  I met with her, shared some of my ideas.  She made helpful suggestions and offered a variety of options as to how involved she would/could be with the redesign and I hired her.  I liked her ALOT.  We really connected!!

I decided on the 'total involvement' package she presented.  It was the most expensive, but I have limited time, practically no expertise and very limited extra energy.  I was SO excited.  She promised glorious bougainvilleas, stunning English Lavender, smashing planters on casters, and best of all...an automatic drip watering system!  I was thrilled!  Making it even better - she would arrange for the complete clean up of the patio space and the removal of all the old furniture and dead plants and pots.

She gave advice and suggestions on decor items like table, outdoor rug and chairts, etc.  I declined installing lighting since it was too pricey.  Also - no water features - too much risk of mosquitoes (WHO LOVE ME!)  Also could not afford to jack hammer the cement and replace the surface with tile.

So - it took a while to get going, but I was patient.  I was NOT happy to come home after day one of work to find my new, expensive doggie beds were tossed out along with all the other trash.  I had been quite specific - "throw out the dog houses, but please NOT the beds".  When I called to discuss this with her - she seemed unfazed stating that 'things like this happen'.  I should have called off the deal then but had already given her check #1 for supplies, etc.  She finally agreed to give me a check to replace the beds - they are $60 each.  I decided to play it safe, lest she 'forget' and I simply deducted the amount from the final check I owed her.

I spent a little over $2,000.  GASP!

Plants:
Bouganvilla	3 @ 25.00	75
Lavender	10 @ 2.00	20
Soil	10 bags @ 5.47	54.7
Mulch	3 Bags @ 1.09	3.27
Planters:
Trough planter 16x39x16"	2 @ 119.00	238
Square Planter	1 @ 89.95	89.95
Trelis	3 @ 22.00	66
Timer	1	29.97
Hose	1	9.97
Casters (for planters)	5 @ 9.95	49.75
Soaker hose		29.97
Labor:
Gardener	1 day @ $100	100
Designer		1200
Misc:
Shipping		85
Trucking		50
TOTAL		2101.58

I had been saving up but was unprepared for THIS.  But - I went for it!  (Note - this budget does NOT include rugs, furniture, etc)

I noticed after a week or so that I was unaware of the watering system EVER having been on.  Lavender was beginning to die.  I called her.  She insisted the watering system was working perfectly.  She had tested it and I should not worry about the plants because they were in shock.  I took a closer look at the watering system set up = the faucet was in the OFF position.  UGH!  I turned it on and sure enough the water flowed ALL OVER THE PLACE.  Instead of a drip system she used a soaker hose.  I did not know the difference - now I do!  The soaker hose drapes in plain view on the patio floor between the planters.  It looks UGLY.  I called and asked for advice and was told to 'just buy more planters'.  I don't think so.  I have no money left to buy more plants. I also asked her how to handle the constant dripping from the faucet.  She told ME to 'go to a hardware store  and ask the dude for plumber's tape'.  SIGH - THIS WAS WHY I HIRED SOMEONE - to take care of this stuff.  

My sweetest ever friend, Matt, came over last night and is helping me fix everything.  He's going to use the soaker hose at his house.  He's going to buy an appropriate drip system and install it for me.  He's going to fix the leaky faucet.  And, I will finally be able to relax and enjoy the outdoor space.  Oh yes - he's going to go with me to buy two small potted palms since the ones I purchased last weekend are poisonous to dogs!  Matt will get to have those at his house as well.

Matt is the best!  I love him.  He's cute and funny too.  Too bad he is so young and doesn't date women!!

Matt - my hero!!