Christmas Stocking Spoon Ornament

I have been wanting to add to my spoon ornament collection for quite awhile and this is one that I painted for my sisters and sister-in-law for Christmas. I have two others that will be forthcoming. I put up a small tree in my bathroom every year for Christmas and it is just filled with all of my spoon ornaments and more small ornaments. Would love this year to find a place in my kitchen for a tree for the spoon ornaments as that would be more appropriate. This is in my Etsy shop at: https://www.etsy.com/listing/220764924/christmas-stocking-spoon-ornament?

CT Scan Results

Well, I am sitting here this morning feeling much better than I thought I would be this time last week. Don't know why I always let myself think the worst when it comes to health issues but I do. Maybe it helps me to not be let down if it is bad news? Has to be some kind of protective mode I go into. I think it is fairly normal that we all do this. Sort of brace ourselves kind o' thing. Nothing worse than sitting in the doctor's office waiting to hear his feet near the door. I was such a nervous wreck on Friday when I had to get my CT results. My blood pressure was sky high and I don't normally have a blood pressure issue. It is always like that. I am lucky I don't have a stroke when I go. Well, the nervousness was for nothing...thank the good Lord above! The oncologist I have always comes into the room shining his megawatt smile...one of the reasons I really like him, he is so down to earth and so nice and doesn't rush out of there when he is with me. But on this particular day I was trying so hard to read him to find out my results. Luckily, he didn't beat around the bush too long and he finally said "your CT results look great." WHEW! I almost cried! Such a relief. Feeling so blessed! As it stands, we will continue with all of the chemo treatments (I now have 8 more to go) since I am responding well to those and 4-6 weeks after those are done, I will have a hysterectomy. I so pray that they will be able to get all of this cancer out of me. So far, it is sounding like it is very possible. Just so blessed that none of my other organs have been affected thus far. I have so many prayers going out for me and I feel so surrounded by the Lord above. I just could not get through this if I didn't have faith in God and he will take care of me...whatever the plan is. I feel him around me! If any of you out there are going through something similar, I pray that you feel the same way. Surround yourself with loving family and friends too...helps so much! Don't hesitate to ask for prayers! Above all, keep up a great attitude! I cannot tell you how important this is! Don't sit around dwelling on your prognosis and feeling sorry for yourself. I can only look around and see somebody going through much worse than I. I have lived a good 58 years of my life and it breaks my heart to see young children going through cancer and possibly not getting to live all these years. I'm not near ready to go, but still feel blessed for such a wonderful life I have had. I believe a good attitude will get you a long way! We just gotta roll with the punches! Hang in there! Thanks for reading my journey!

Lemon Pepper Chicken

This is by far my favorite recipe of late. I must make it once a week. It is one of those recipes I just crave. Love the rice/water chestnut mixed together the most. Am thinking that I many just try making the rice and water chestnuts as a side dish and leave out the chicken. It IS that good! Hope you try it and enjoy it!

Lemon Pepper Chicken
2 boxes long grain and wild rice
14 oz. chicken broth
5 T. lemon pepper
1 stick butter
4 chicken breasts or 10 tenderloins
2 cans sliced water chestnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 9x13 pan place chicken inside and sprinkle lemon pepper over chicken. Slice butter over top of chicken. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and add rice, chicken, water chestnuts and chicken broth. Stir together and cover. Put in oven and bake 30 minutes more. Take foil off and bake 15 more minutes. This is so good served with green beans and potatoes cooked together.

Cyndimac's Nick Knacks: Policeman Lightbulb Ornament

Cyndimac's Nick Knacks: Policeman Lightbulb Ornament

Policeman Lightbulb Ornament

This year I would really like to get more "occupational" ornaments designed and painted up and this lil' guy has been on the back burner long enough. It took me an entire day to paint him up and there might be a few changes on the next one but this is a start. My fireman ornament was a good seller last year so I am hopeful this will be popular this year. You can find him in my Etsy shop. https://www.etsy.com/shop/CyndiMacsNickKnacks

Best Banana Pudding

I usually make "real" banana pudding, you know, the kind with meringue when I get a hankering for banana pudding but found this recipe on Pinterest and tried it and it was really good and easy. Enjoy!

The Best Banana Pudding

Ingredients
•2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies OR 2 bags Vanilla Wafers
•6 to 8 bananas, sliced
•2 cups milk
•1 (5 oz.) box French Vanilla pudding
•1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
•1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
•1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Instructions
1.Line the bottom of a 13x9 inch inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
2.In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer.
3.Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth.
4.Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.
5.Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.
6.Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies.
7.Refrigerate until ready to serve!

Guardian Angel Ornament for Ovarian Cancer

Seems like I am always apologizing for being MIA...again, I am sorry for being away so long. That is, if anyone even missed me. Hard to believe it has been since May that I have posted anything. Geez, how time flies! As always, I do stay very busy...love being that way. No one can ever call me lazy. I have had some health issues since the summer. First, in August I was diagnosed with "Colitis" and breezed through that fairly well. Then a few weeks after that I started throwing up all the time and found out I had an obstruction in my colon. Well, on October 2nd I ended up having to have surgery to get rid of that obstruction and while the surgeon was doing that he found I had ovarian cancer. I am feeling quite blessed that the cancer was found when it was as I have learned that ovarian cancer cannot be detected by an annual pap smear...it is quite hard to find once you have it really. I feel very blessed that if I hadn't had the colon issue, this would not have been found. Needless to say, I am having to take chemo treatments and am halfway through them. I will have 6 cycles of 3 which means 18 total. I have again been blessed in that I have not had one second of nausea with the treatments. I don't know how that has happened except I had read to take Ginger Root and I have been doing that religiously. I also can have Ativan when I have my treatments and I take that which is supposed to help with the nausea, as well as relax me. I have begun to feel some numbness in my feet from time to time and that is expected. My tastebuds are all over the place...food just doesn't taste as good as it did but that doesn't mean I haven't had a ravenous appetite. The steroids I have to take sometimes make me feel like I could eat the house. I also cut my hair short on November 6th so that once it started falling out then it wouldn't be so traumatic. Let me tell you, once it did start thinning out it WAS traumatic. Don't let anyone tell you "it's only hair, it will grow back." I didn't think it would bother me much but it did...your hair is important to your look and feelings about yourself. They told me I would start losing it after the 3rd treatment. Here I am after the 9th treatment and I still do have a layer of thin hair. I figured I would be bald way before this. Doesn't mean it isn't still thinning but I can at least do a "comb over." I was pro-active in that I ordered a Raquel Welch wig several months ago but really don't much like wearing it. When I have it on I do look more like myself tho. I just feel so fake in it. I mostly rock out in some really cute hats, several of which were given to me from friends...they are so cute...mostly handmade crocheted ones. Now that I am halfway through treatments I go next week for a CT scan to see how the chemo is working and hopefully get a new surgery date to have a hysterectomy. I am so ready to be rid of this cancer inside me, although not looking forward to surgery so soon. I know it has to happen for me to get better and at least I have kept a very positive attitude through this ordeal. I don't let myself dwell on it, nor do I get on the internet to read about everyone else's bout with ovarian cancer. That was the first thing I did once diagnosed and that was a very bad decision. Everyone's situation is different and I can see how that would bring a person down reading all that. Best decision I could make staying away from that mess. I have been amazed at how strong my faith has become and I know that this is out of my hands...the greater power will have to decide my future. It is in God's hands. I can look around and see others that have it worse than me.

I have four really special girlfriends that I consider my family. They all have been with me through this and check on me all the time...best friends a gal could ask for. We have been friends for 30 years. The minute I got home from the hospital I knew that I wanted to make them a special ornament and this guardian angel ornaments is what I designed and gave to them. I painted the dress a teal color for ovarian cancer...that is the color for it. They were so touched by it. That is the kind of friends I have tho, very giving and caring and appreciative. I love them dearly.