Benign!

Benign is such a beautiful word. I have learned that the worrisome spot that I had biopsied is BENIGN! YAY! I was worried because my normally optimistic dermatologist gave me less than super odds.... we play this game, he and I. As he cuts away a small piece of my flesh I act as if I'm not frightened and I ask him what are the odds it is malignant. Typically he will give me a less than 20% chance. Normally he says he is 90% certain that it is nothing. This last time he gave me 50/50. Then he asked if my cell phone number was in the chart. He then got my work and home numbers verified. Sure, I thought... you are not thinking 50/50! You are just being nice and telling me 50/50 so I won't FREAK!

I didn't freak. I waited patiently for my results. It took a week and my dear sweet dermatologist called me in the middle of dinner with the good news. BENIGN! YAY! I feel so blessed! I wish my dad had such relief.... his biopsy will happen in a few weeks. They decided to wait until after the holidays because he has to go off some of his medications. He will have another ultrasound but with a biopsy this time. I'm hoping is is nothing... Prostate cancer runs in families. My dad's brother has gone through 2 rounds of cancer treatment for prostate cancer.

We have 12 inches of snow that accumulated yesterday. It has begun again! Glad my husband handles the clearing of the walk! I had to shovel the back porch, steps, and an area out back yesterday for the dogs.... they couldn't go out until I cleared a path! You should have seen the pug.... she sunk so deep the snow made her pop back up in the air as it touched her pink little belly! The greyhound lept like a gazelle, the pug hopped like a bunny, and the kids and I nearly wet ourselves laughing as we watched them!

Tonight I finished decorating dad's house for the holidays. It is a lot of work but I am always so happy to see the house decorated the way my mom would have done it. My eye is not nearly as good as her's, but I try! I love looking at each ornament as we put them on the tree. My kids laughed as I told them to place my favorites on the FRONT of the tree. Tell me you don't do the same thing? I put the ugly to the back.... and the broken ones can still go up -- just turn it so it isn't noticeable! It is easier to decorate at dad's when he isn't home. Sometimes decorating is like making sausage -- the result is great but you don't want to watch the process!

Hoping you are taking time to enjoy the small wonders of the holiday season! Wishing you and yours the many blessings of the season. I know I enjoy it so much more now that I'm focused on making it nice for my kids and my dad. Funny how life is so much more fun when it isn't about me......