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Feeling (Almost) Groovy

For some reason -- probably the myriad of pharmaceuticals I've ingested in the last few days -- the words to the "59th Street Bridge Song, aka "Feeling Groovy" keep running through my mind. I'm definitely not feeling groovy, but am feeling about as groovy as one can feel with three small punches in one's tummy.

Despite Irene's visit my surgery went on as scheduled. There seemed to be very few operations at the major medical center on Monday and as a result I got a lot of attention. Every one had lots of time to talk to me, and even though the surgery was delayed by hours I had company -- a very nice nurse and several medical students -- television and lots of magazines. I fought to hold on to my glasses and was able to read while I waited.

I'm uncomfortable, but not in much pain. My big concern about pain from the air that was pumped into my stomach didn't materialize and I am very grateful. I have, however, lost most of my voice from the tube in my throat from the anesthesia, but am sure I will fully speaking again shortly. On a more important note, the initial biopsy was negative and my generally non-optimistic doctor is optimistic that the fuller biopsy, due at the end of the week, will also be negative.

My tumor is a somewhat rare one that generally is only found by medical examination. Not often malignant it can become malignant. Mine was found in a routine annual exam, so please don't skip your exams. I had no symptoms and felt great.

Thanks, Jess, for the update on Monday. Love the picture of the men in black and our happy memories. Thanks, dear blog friends for all of your good wishes. Buttercup has lots of blessings to count!   

All clear!

Hi - this is Buttercup's god-daughter, Jess.  She asked me to let all her friends in blog-land know that she's out of surgery and doing quite well.  She'll be home tonight and probably telling you all the details in the next few days. She didn't want anyone to worry so rest assured she's fine.

Here's another photo from my brother's wedding last weekend.  I have a movie blog and this one really appeals to me.



Live from New York City...The (Not-so) Calm After the Storm

Looks a lot like yesterday's photo, but no one has an umbrella today.

Above picture is the view from my apartment. We had lots of rain and some wind. I was beginning to think our neighborhood was totally untouched, but one of my neighbors suggested I walk one block to Riverside Park, which is on the Hudson River. The sight was not as pristine. 




My friends in Brooklyn weathered the storm well, but my cousins in Connecticut have lost power and some trees on their street. Heard from them via cellphone to facebook. The joys of the modern world. 

Thanks all, for your prayers and concern. I am grateful that Irene was gentle in New York City, but I am so sad for the destruction and death in other places. I hope that all my buddies in Blogland and their families were unscathed.  

I am now in major preparation for tomorrow's surgery. I'm off to the hospital at 7:30 tomorrow morning and anticipate being home some time in the evening. My friend, Pene, will go with me and pick me up. I'm optimistic all will go well, but will be so grateful when it's over and I am happily back at home. 

Prayers and wishes for a quiet week in Buttercupland and the surrounding environs.

Live from New York City...The Calm Before the Storm

I've just returned from a successful foray out of my apartment in search of a bagel for tomorrow's breakfast. The Dunkin Donuts a block away was open and doing a brisk business in iced coffee and doughnuts. The rain is light and there is no wind. So far, so good.

The scene at my corner. The trees are standing still and people are strolling. 

I joined the shopping parade in Manhattan. Although I have stocked up on canned goods and beverages I was concerned I would not have water and made a mad dash last night. This was the scene that greeted me at the drugstore.  The empty space is where the reasonably priced water should be displayed. The bottles to the left are very fancy and imported and the small bottles are $3.99. I made the quick decision that I was okay without $3.99 water. 

I was less successful in the bread aisle at the grocery last night. All bread and bagels were gone. All that was left were hot dog and hamburger rolls, which necessitated my dash out this afternoon.  

It's been a wild week, and there are moments I feel that I am in some very odd disaster movie. Our work Division is an integral part of the hurricane planning and evacuation efforts and the entire agency is a major part of New York City's hurricane plans, so it's been non-stop. You may even be seeing some of my friends and colleagues on television. Please say a prayer for all of us on the east coast and my New York neighbors, especially those of us who go in harm's way to keep us all safe.  

"Is It an Earthquake of Merely a Shock...

...Or is what I feel the real mccoy?" 

Greetings from Stinkweed, Buttercup's alter ego. The mini-real mccoy of  the earthquake and a power blackout in Buttercup's workplace this morning has completely tired out Buttercup. She hadn't gotten over the moment of realizing that her desk chair was moving from side-to-side yesterday when the power went out at the office this morning. It came back in just a few minutes, but not before shorting out the phone system, which sent the call center (a big part of Buttercup's work world) and Buttercup into a tizzy.  It's been quite a forty-eight hours for our sweet little yellow flower and Buttercup still needs to do the album of the wedding pictures and a little shopping in anticipation of Hurricane Irene's possible arrival over the weekend. Buttercup's thoughts before she lapsed into sleep were "Out to sea, Irene, out to sea."  


Buttercup Goes to a Wedding...

...and what a wonderful wedding!

Crossing Lake Champlain, from New York to Vermont

The long awaited weekend finally arrived and last Thursday I traveled with K and Jess to Tom and Julia's wedding. Tom is K's son and Jess' brother and one of my favorite people in the world and Julia is his lovely and charming bride. K and I had a wonderful visit with them in  Montana last year, just before Tom and Julia went on an adventure, literally traveling the world. They are people who make their dreams come true, and the wedding was the loveliest country dream wedding I can imagine.

On Friday night family and friends celebrated with a dinner and music in the bride's parents backyard. Great food, fun toasts and music by the groom and friends. 
The view to the mountains of Vermont


 On the most idyllic New England afternoon Tom and Julia were married. 


The bridesmaids were all lovely, but Jess looked especially beautiful. 


Sweet flower girl

Lovely Julia and her father

One of Tom and Julia's plans was to have a great band and they did. The music was fabulous and it was a dancing party, the likes of which I've never experienced and may never again. 

   

I will long remember this evening. It was a moment of love, laughter and being part of the celebration of friends that I have known for over forty years. It was a joy to see two wonderful young people joining their lives. This idyllic New England evening and all the joy, laughter and hugs are high on my list of blessings. Thanks, K, Jess, Julia and Tom and here's to a million more happy times!




Something about a Man in Plaid...

As always I wish I had a dozen aprons to give away. There were many terrific comments about Mr. Brawny and his many useful attributes. But alas, there can only be one winner of the Mr. Brawny apron. The lucky winner is Ink Stained Wretch -- don't you love the name! -- who blogs at Critiques from Samii. As our winner wrote:

"I would love a visit from Mr. Brawny because there is something about a man in plaid that makes me what to clean!"

Congratulations, Samii! You will be getting a visit from the handy man in plaid. And thank you, friends at Brawny, for making this possible.

I'm happily with K and Jess, enjoying a beautiful evening on the St. Lawrence River. The flight was uneventful and I'm so enjoying the beauty and quiet here. Girls' day tomorrow, with visits to sweet Mary to get my hair cut and a group trip for manicures. We're off to Vermont on Thursday.

Happy week wishes to all and  congratulations again to our lucky winner! 


 

Rawson School, We Pledge to Thee...

...Brotherhood and loyalty. 

The candles were lit in memory of our departed classmates. 

On Saturday night I spent some wonderful hours in Farmington, CT at a reunion for our elementary school, the Sarah J. Rawson School. There were about 100 people who grew up in the Blue Hills neighborhood of Hartford. Though there were only a few people from my class (1964) there were neighbors, friends from Hebrew School and Girl Scouts. It was a wonderful evening all around, and an extraordinary feeling to be in a place where everyone wanted to be present and understood and shared the memories of my childhood. Three  of our teachers joined us, two in person and one on videotape. It was an evening of hugs, laughter, a few tears and lots of penny candy, reminiscent of our beloved Sless' drugstore, where we all stopped for penny candy on a regular basis. 

In addition to reunion I got to spend time with my fifth grade best friend, Lonni, and see her new house. She was a terrific sport to host me just after moving last week. We kicked off our reunion weekend with a visit to one of my favorite ice cream shops, A.C. Peterson. The decor has changed, but the ice cream is still delicious and yes, we both had sundaes, and they were wonderful. 

Mr. Brawny Sends His Love...

...and an apron.

I really enjoyed meeting Mr. Brawny. He's strong and mannerly, a great guy to know and to have around the house. Unfortunately I can't ask Mr. Brawny to visit each of you, but thanks to the kind folks at Brawny I can offer one blog buddy a bright and cheerful Brawny plaid apron. It's the next best thing to a visit from Mr. Brawny. 

This will be a quick giveaway, beginning tonight and closing next Tuesday. I'll be announcing the winner next Wednesday. Only two things are needed to enter this giveaway. One is to be a follower of Buttercup's and the second is to tell me why you would like a visit from Mr. Brawny. Easy Peasey and fun!

Again, my thanks to the nice people at Brawny for this cute, cute apron! 

Ain't He Sweet

"Now I ask you very confidentially, ain't he sweet?"

I promised to introduce another of my new friends, and this guy is definitely one of the sweetest guys anywhere. I confess I got completely carried away with all of the characters in costume, but it was so much fun meeting them. Up until BlogHer I'd only met Mr. Met -- the Mets mascot -- who is very cute with a big fuzzy baseball head and McGuff, the Crime Dog. But BlogHer surpassed my wildest expectations and I will long enjoy the photos and the happy memories. Thanks, California Raisin friends, for this wonderful treat.  

Tomorrow I will be posting my first BlogHer giveaway. There is a character involved here, too. He's not as sweet at Mr. California Raisin, but he is good looking and the giveaway is a useful one, so please stop by. 

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. The cat scan went well and best of all it showed no further mass. Hurray! I'm definitely not out of the woods yet, but this is great news. I scheduled the consultation with the surgeon for August 24th. Please keep those prayers and hugs coming!

The Exhibition Hall at BlogHer'11. This was a quiet moment. 

BlogHer Coverage is Interrupted by Real LIfe

I haven't done a proper post -- or two -- on my experiences at BlogHer in San Diego. To sum it up in a few words, worthwhile and a whirlwind. I enjoyed the sessions very much and got to meet some very interesting and nice people. I definitely will be keeping in touch. A high point of my trip was the opportunity to meet wonderful Lura and her terrific husband, John.

But real life has intruded on the fun. Last Monday, before I went to San Diego I followed up a referral from my doctor with a sonogram. The sonogram showed a two inch mass on my ovary. I have a terrific doctor and her follow-up was immediate. On Wednesday I was in her office for a blood test. I did a quick google search on ovarian cysts and decided I would leave my laptop in New York and go off to San Diego and enjoy! I am a worrier by nature, but the fun of BlogHer and my time with Lura definitely helped ease my mind.

I spoke with my doctor this morning and the blood test was negative. There is still room for error in the results, but this makes me feel much better. I've got a cat scan scheduled for tomorrow morning and am also trying to set up a surgical consultation. No matter what the pictures look like the cyst has to come out.


Though we are all across many miles I am asking for your prayers. It's an easy request to make, because you are all among the kindest and most thoughtful people I know and I can feel your good wishes and prayers across the miles.

Tomorrow we will resume BlogHer coverage with a photo of the sweetest new friend I met at BlogHer. He's a sweetie and I know you will like him as much as I do!

Isn't He Charmin?

Having a great time. Wish you were here, too, to meet my new friends.


Making Friends

Please don't tell Mr. Brawny...


I've Got a New Friend

Fun evening at the exhibition of sponsors.  Interesting products and causes and some yummy samples. There will be giveaways, including one courtesy of my new best friend, Mr. Brawny.


I Have a Room with a View

Greetings from gorgeous San Diego. Lots more to come.


This Time Tomorrow...

...it will be 8:49 PM in California and instead of getting ready for a Friday at work I will be at BlogHer. It's been a whirl of a day -- as it usually is before a vacation -- but well worth it. Your soon-to-be correspondent in San Diego is very excited. Almost too excited to eat -- just yogurt for dinner -- and too happy excited to sleep. I'm just about packed. I've got too many shirts and have probably forgotten something critical, but I know I can find whatever I need in San Diego.

I hope to do at least daily posts from BlogHer. I will be blogging from my phone, so there won't be a lot of text, but I will try and share photos throughout the day. I wish I could bring all of you with me, but since that's not possible stay tuned for pictures, comments and maybe even my first-ever Buttercup video.


Fun Time, Summer in the City

I'm loving summer in the city. I like going out and exploring, whether it's a neighborhood I'm unfamiliar with or just my beloved Upper West Side of Manhattan. I walked along Broadway three times over this weekend and every time I found something fun and interesting.

If anyone was looking for a hat for shade the hat vendor was on Columbus Avenue. I had just made a quick visit to the post office and was making my way to Whole Foods. 

I always enjoy the Saturday Farmers' Market, across from Lincoln Center. The veggies looked great...

at all the stands!

Sidewalk dining is fun.

But even in the midst of fresh vegetables,  folks wearing tank tops and shorts and folks drinking iced tea, there was a reminder that the seasons go round...

In the Burberry Store the summer is gone.

As for me, I am hanging on to every drop of sunshine and ice cream as long as I can. 
Sweaters will be here soon enough!

Wishing you a fun time, whether you are enjoying summer in the city or the country!

  

I'm So Excited! I Just Can't Hide it!

I can't wait for BlogHer, which is only four days away. Actually it's five days, but I'm counting Thursday afternoon, when I will be arriving in San Diego. I've printed out my airline ticket, reconfirmed the hotel and checked on transportation from the airport to the hotel. I'm even re-organizing my makeup and toothbrush travel bag tonight. My new business cards and buttercup stickers are all ready to pack.

I've looked over the agenda and picked out the sessions that look most interesting. I have several ideas for ways to make blogging more of a part-time job next summer, when I plan to retire. Not sure how that will go, but there are sessions that are tailored to this goal. I know it will take more than a seminar or two, but I am very optimistic that I will get some great ideas.

I'm also looking forward to meeting people. I'm planning to go to the Newbie breakfast and to a session for boomer bloggers. I've had a couple of doubts in the last few days, the proverbial "what ifs." What if I don't have anyone to talk to? When I put it in writing I have to smile. The folks I've met blogging have been some of the friendliest people I've ever met and I'm sure BlogHer '11 will be a terrific experience. 

If anyone is going to BlogHer, please leave me a comment. I'm the boomer blogger with little yellow flowers on her name tag and I'd love to chat with you!